The JGI’s Community Science Program gives researchers access to all kinds of sequencing, ‘omics and bioinformatics capabilities — and it’s open to scientists at any career stage, anywhere in the world, for free. We accept new projects related to energy and the environment several times a year. A few proposal calls have deadlines coming up – in January, March, and later on in the spring. In this episode, hear proposal tips from Tanja Woyke, who runs user programs at the JGI, and project...

Back in 2011, JGI-supported researchers published a paper in the journal Science. They’d used metagenomics to sift for microbial genes encoding carbohydrate-chomping enzymes in cow rumen — and found 27,000 candidates. The data from that study is now used across California State University campuses for biotechnology education as part of a course-based undergraduate resource experience. Hear from CSU San Marcos Professor Matt Escobar and UC Davis Associate Professor Matthias Hess, also the...

Every year, the JGI sequences around 35,000 samples — from plants, algae, bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses — to support scientists around the world. Most of those researchers send their samples in from afar, without ever hearing much about the sequencing lab. So today, Chris Daum walks through the JGI’s sequencing pipeline, where there are freezers with names — but not doors — and robots handle a bunch of benchwork. Links from this episode: Episode TranscriptSubmit a proposal to work with...

We count on livestock for food and fiber, but raising these animals also produces an atmosphere-warming gas: methane. Those emissions mainly come from gut microbes — the bacteria and archaea breaking down plant matter. So since 2010, the JGI has supported researchers studying those microbial methane-makers. Eventually, that could help us dial back their emissions, while still producing things like meat, milk, and wool. Hear more from JGI collaborators Sinead Leahy (New Zealand Agricultural...

Black fungi are microscopic and mighty. They survive everywhere from Antarctica to Joshua Tree National Park, despite extremely harsh conditions. And their survival secrets could one day help other organisms survive hotter, drier climates. So University of Tuscia researchers Laura Selbmann and Claudia Coleine are working with scientists from around the world – and the JGI – to understand them better. Links from this episode: Episode TranscriptHow Black Fungi Adapt to ExtremesIntegrated...

The soybean is a crop that could boost biofuels and fertilize fields. So in 2010, the JGI helped publish the original genome sequence for the soybean, Glycine max. With a full genome sequence, researchers have been able to look into soybean’s strengths – along with a fungus that threatens this important crop. Hear more about that work from researchers Gary Stacey (University of Missouri), Peter van Esse (The Sainsbury Laboratory) and Sebastien Duplessis (INRAE). Links from this...

In this episode, we peer into plant cells. Researchers are using measurements from single cells to understand which genes help plants grow, get nutrients, weather drought, and more. And eventually, their findings could help us grow better crops, with less impact on our planet. Links from this episode: Monet’s Waterloo Bridge at Sunset (1904) Serat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (1884) Submit a proposal to work with the JGI: https://jointgeno.me/proposals  Margot’s 2021 Berkeley Lab...

This shorter episode is about a tiny, single-celled alga – Chlamydomonas reinhardtii – that’s managed to have a big impact. UC Berkeley plant biologist Sabeeha Merchant explains why she works on this alga, how researchers managed to sequence its genome, and what it has to teach us about other organisms – like plants.  Links from this episode Episode TranscriptJGI@25: The Little Alga That CouldChlamydomonas reinhardtii on Phytozome and PhycoCosm JGI Blog Post: Green Algae Reveal One mRNA...

We know all kinds of things about plastic – except, how to break it down for recycling. But some hungry insects can digest plastic. So researchers are taking a look at how these critters process plastic, to improve plastic recycling by following their lead.  Episode Transcript Links from this episode: Sequencing the Amazonian Stinkbird’s Microbiome Acronym Action: EPICON project Submit a proposal to work with the JGI! Find out more about the FICUS program between JGI and...

What if we understood plants and how they adapt to their ever-changing environments better? We could unlock new innovations to drive more productive food, medicine, and bioenergy crops. But most available genomes are from narrow swaths of the plant tree of life. One project aims to change that. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, at https://jgi.doe.gov/genome-insider-s2-episode-10-filling-in-the-plant-tree-of-life/.

What grass is a prized ornamental and a bioenergy plant? Meet Miscanthus, an attractive addition to your garden and a potential fuel for the future. But, to be competitive in the market, both energy policy and Miscanthus will need some upgrades. In this episode, hear from scientists working on understanding Miscanthus biology and the economic terrain to help make the plant a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, at...

Every summer, the JGI invites undergraduate and graduate students from the University of California, Merced to participate in the flagship JGI-UC Merced Internship Program and engage in real, impactful research projects with JGI mentors. In this episode, hear two interns from the 2021 cohort describe their deep dives into genomics, computational tools, and big data. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, at...

The US Department of Energy’s favorite tree is poplar. They’re the fastest growing trees in the Northern Hemisphere, making them tantalizing plants to harness for bioenergy. In this episode, hear from Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists who have uncovered remarkable genetic secrets that bring us closer to making poplar an economical and sustainable source of energy and materials. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, at...

You might know sorghum as an edible grain. But there are some sorghum varieties, grown on marginal land with little water, which were developed specifically to turn their biomass into sustainable biofuel and bioproducts. John Mullet, a biologist at Texas A&M University, tells us how sorghum’s historical — and literal — roots could play a big role in our energy future. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, at...

Lawrence Livermore National Lab biologist Jennifer Pett-Ridge collaborated with JGI scientists on an ambitious project: to bring in robots to help process experiments that measure microbial activity in soil. Now, the researchers and robots have made these experiments easier for scientists everywhere. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, at https://jgi.doe.gov/genome-insider-s2-ep5-a-powerful-technique-to-study-microbes-now-easier 

There’s a party in the soil, and microbes are the VIPs. They’re feasting on the compounds that plants secrete through their roots, creating a lively zone called the rhizosphere. In this episode, biologist Jennifer Pett-Ridge of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has your backstage pass. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, at https://jgi.doe.gov/genome-insider-s2ep4-party-in-the-rhizosphere

Biofuels and bioproducts are a way to kick our addiction to fossil fuels. In this episode, we get a peek into how scientists Aindrila Mukhopadhyay and Steve Singer are harnessing the versatile bacterium Pseudomonas putida to break down biomass and help bring about a more sustainable, bio-based economy. They conduct research at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a JGI partner and one of the four US Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers.  Find more info on this episode, including...

Diatoms, a group of tiny algae, are also known as “living opals” because of the strange, beautiful properties of their silica shells. But what genes are responsible for such mesmerizing exteriors? Setsuko Wakao and Kris Niyogi, biologists at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, aim to find out.  Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, at https://jgi.doe.gov/genome-insider-s2ep2-cracking-the-secrets-of-the-diatoms-shell/.

A tall native plant of the North American prairie, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has long been a tantalizing potential biofuel feedstock. But switchgrass has a complex genome and, as a species, encompasses dizzying diversity. So, a team of scientists made an ambitious plan to link the plant’s diverse traits — height, biomass, hardiness to cold, etc. — to its genes. The undertaking took shovels, trucks — and more than a decade.  With the results just published in the journal Nature, listen...

Every fall, a mysterious green growth appears on farmers’ fields: a microbial community that might be quietly improving the soil. Penn State researchers Mary Ann Bruns and Terry Bell are digging in to understand how. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, here. We hope you enjoy this last episode of Season 1! Stay tuned for Season 2, coming in 2021.

Can plants help humans attain a renewable energy future? Can they help lock away more carbon? Xiaohan Yang, a scientist at Oakridge National Laboratory, believes they can. And, what’s more, that using gene editing technology to conscientiously mix traits of different plant species will help us get there. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, here.

Life as we know it wouldn’t exist without cyanobacteria; they began oxygenating Earth over two billion years ago. A team of researchers set out to Yellowstone National Park to study how cyanobacteria are living, communally, in microbial mats. Along the way, they’ve encountered surprises, adopted new technologies, and made a few discoveries about the microbial mat denizens.  Find more info on the episode, including the transcript, here:...

A mini-episode: JGI collaborator Pankaj Trivedi is harnessing microbiome science to make plants more resilient to drought. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript here: jgi.doe.gov/genome-insider-mini-episode-6-how-microbes-can-protect-plants-in-drier-straits/

As waters warm due to climate change, corals are in mortal peril. But corals comprise multiple organisms: a coral host, a photosynthetic microalgae, and a little-characterized microbiome. When warm waters stress corals but before they bleach, a coral’s microbes, including its photosynthetic partner, may be what helps them take the heat. Find more info on this episode, including the transcript, here.