The projects of 13 Biosciences Area scientists and engineers received funding through the FY19 Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. The funded projects span a diverse array of topics and approaches including the harnessing of microbiome data to uncover patterns of mutualism, evaluating radiobiological effects of laser-accelerated ion beams, improving bioenergy yield under drought stress, and the application of machine learning in tomogram segmentation. Lab-wide, 89 projects were selected from a field of 158 proposals. Biosciences Area efforts account for 15.07 percent of the $22.2 million allocated.
New EGSB Leadership Announced
N. Louise Glass, director of the Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology (EGSB) Division, announced new leadership as of October 1, 2018. Changes were implemented to diversify perspectives and ideas within the management of the Division. Ben Brown and Henrik Scheller have agreed to take on positions as Division co-deputies for science; Tanja Woyke and Chris Mungall will now serve as department heads of Functional Genomics and Molecular Ecosystems Biology, respectively.
Biosciences Area FY18 LDRD Projects
The projects of 13 Biosciences Area scientists and engineers received funding through the FY18 Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. These projects span a diverse array of topics and approaches including the study of microbiomes in relation to patterns of mutualism, crop productivity, and gut health; synthetic biology for engineering biosurfactant production and energy conversion pathways; and the application of technologies such as machine learning, high-resolution optical microscopy, and single-cell transcriptomics. Together, these efforts account for 18.75 percent of the $20 million allocated. Lab-wide, 74 projects were selected from a field of 215.
Biosciences Area Welcomes EGSB Researchers to Aquatic Park
On September 21, the Biosciences Area held a welcome event to acknowledge the coming together of many new and existing research groups at the Aquatic Park facility in West Berkeley. Laboratory Director Mike Witherell and Deputy Director Horst Simon attended and shared their support. The informal program consisted of brief comments by Helen Cademartori, Biosciences Area Deputy for Operations; Louise Glass, Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology (EGSB) Division Director, who provided her perspective via videoconference; Mary Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences; and Mike Witherell. Witherell acknowledged the group for their shared vision for Aquatic Park and the many inter- and cross-Area collaborations that will be fostered through the colocation of these researchers.
Glass Named Fellow of the Mycological Society of America
N. Louise Glass, director of the Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, is being named a fellow of the Mycological Society of America (MSA) at their annual meeting being held this week in Athens, GA. MSA Fellows recognize mid-career members and also MSA volunteers. Glass is being honored as an outstanding mycologist who has served the MSA in several capacities, including as a member of both the Society’s leadership body and the Editorial Board of Mycologia, the official journal of the MSA. Read more in the MSA meeting announcement.
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