Most organisms use oxygen to convert food into energy. However, in environments with little or no oxygen, life had found other ways to produce energy, using a process called fermentation. To better understand the range of bacteria and archaea that rely on this form of metabolism, researchers at UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara recently compiled a list of with more than 8,300 organisms from multiple sources, including the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the DOE Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase). The researchers also built an interactive browser that allows other researchers to study the genomes and predict the metabolic abilities of microbes that are likely to thrive in environments with little or no oxygen.
Dylan Chivian, Microbial Explorer
Dylan Chivian’s upbringing motivated him to help humanity and the natural world. Now a microbial scientist and coding engineer with the Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase), he’s building software tools that aim to share microbial genomic information and promote collaboration across the broader scientific community.
Ten Simple Rules for Getting and Giving Credit for Data
Generating and analyzing data associated with scientific research can be challenging and complicated, to say the least. But the importance of sharing and giving credit to those who produced the data is foundational to furthering the impact of the work. Learn more about ten simple rules for getting and giving credit for data.
Biosciences Researchers Part of Genomic Analysis of Giant Bacteria Found in Guadeloupe Mangroves
In Science, a team led by Jean-Marie Volland, a scientist with joint appointments at the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the Laboratory for Research in Complex Systems, and Silvina Gonzalez-Rizzo and Olivier Gros of the Université des Antilles, described the morphological and genomic features of a giant filamentous bacterium, along with its life cycle.
Onsite PhD Student Visit Amps Up Collaborative Spirit
Biosciences Area staff recently hosted 40 PhD students from Wageningen University in the Netherlands over two days at Emery Station East (ESE) and the Integrative Genomics Building (IGB). The group launched their two-week California tour in the Bay Area, stopping by local biotechnology companies and prominent academic research institutions. The contingent visited ESE to tour the facility, make presentations, and discuss potential collaborations. At the IGB, the students attended a day-long symposium that included short talks, tours of several user facilities, and a poster reception.
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