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Microbial Sequencing Center (MSC)

Overview

The JCVI Microbial Sequence Center (MSC), sponsored by the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease (NIAID), addresses the scientific community's need for additional sequencing of microorganisms and invertebrate vectors of disease that are considered agents of bioterrorism and/or responsible for emerging and re-emerging diseases. The MSC has the capacity to rapidly and cost-effectively sequence genomic DNA and provide preliminary identification of open reading frames and annotation of gene function for a wide variety of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa parasites, and fungi. A recommendation from a 2002 NIAID-sponsored Blue Ribbon Panel on Bioterrorism and its Implication for Biomedical Research was to support genomic sequencing of microorganisms considered agents of bioterrorism and related organisms. This recommendation included careful selection of species, strains, and clinical isolates to generate genomic data for different uses such as strain identification and targets for diagnostics, vaccines, antimicrobials, and other drug development.

Featured Highlights

Burkholderia Sequencing Project We have sequenced phenotypically characterized strains of B. pseudomallei that differ in geographic origin. We also have sequenced multiple bacteriophage genomes isolated from various geographic and clinical sources of B. pseudomallei.
Castor Bean Database A 4x whole genome assembly has been completed and annotated. Ricin, one of the of the deadliest natural toxins in the world and a potential bioterrorism agent, is found in castor bean seeds.
Comparative Analysis of an Emerging Fungal Pathogen, P. marneffei Penicillium marneffei is an emerging fungal pathogen endemic to Southeast Asia and the most prevalent Penicillium species causing fatal infections worldwide.
Comparative Analysis of Pathogenic Aspergillus fumigatus We acquired from Merck, Inc., the genome sequences of a new clinical isolate, CEA10, of an important human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, and two closely related, but rarely pathogenic species, Neosartorya fischeri NRRL181 and A. clavatus NRRL1.
Swine Origin Influenza Outbreak Studies Sequencing and generation of swine origin influenza viral genomic data.

News Alert

On December 3rd, 2008, the NIAID Microbial Sequencing Centers announced annotation Release 1.0 of the Ixodes scapularis genome sequence (GenBank accession ABJB010000000.)

This annotation was produced jointly by the J. Craig Venter Institute, the VectorBase Bioinformatics Resource Center with support from the Broad Institute of Harvard/MIT. More information is available here.

 
 
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