Sara Josephine Baker

At the beginning of the 20th century, many people remained skeptical of both germ theory and preventative medicine, but pioneering physician Dr. Sara Josephine Baker fought to revolutionize public health and is credited with saving tens of thousands of lives. After studying chemistry and...

JCVI Researchers Help Advance Our Understanding of Ocean Microbes, Developing New Tools and Protocols Through Large-Scale Study

The oceans cover over two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and contain an abundance of life including diverse populations of marine microbes.  Studying the  genetics, biochemistry and metabolism of these microbes has been one of JCVI’s long standing research initiatives and is...

Online Education Resources to Help With Your New “Normal”

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to our daily lives and routines, including for many of you the role of an at-home educator for your children due to open-ended school closures.  While we also miss directly connecting with students from our community, JCVI remains committed...

Coronavirus Pandemic: Putting Comprehensive Genomic Data in the Hands of Frontline Researchers Worldwide is Paramount

According to the CDC, SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, has now been detected in more than 150 countries/locations internationally. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and in the United States it has been declared it a national emergency. As...

Characterization of Bacteria from the International Space Station Drinking Water

From a microbiology perspective, the International Space Station (ISS) is interesting considering its microgravity, increased radiation, low humidity and elevated carbon dioxide levels. Because of its isolation, and unique environment, it is vital to study the microorganisms that thrive there...

Venter Institute Researchers Tackle the Growing Concern of Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Infections with Genomic, Phage Approaches

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year in the United States two million people acquire antibiotic resistant bacterial infections that lead to 23,000 deaths. Antibiotic resistance affects people of all ages and seriously impacts the healthcare, veterinary,...

2019 Summer Internship Program

The 2019 Summer Internship Program which wrapped up in August was another rousing success at the J. Craig Venter Institute.  Faculty and staff in both the Rockville (MD) and La Jolla (CA) campuses mentored and trained  25 students (high school, undergraduate, and graduate students)...

Diatoms Have Found a Way to Pirate Bacterial Iron Sources

In large regions of the world’s oceans, photosynthesis struggles to operate because a key ingredient is missing. Many of the proteins involved in harvesting energy from sunlight require iron atoms to function, but iron is hard to find in seawater. Most of the ocean is far removed from...

The JCVI Genomic Frontier Fund

As we complete our 26th year as a private genomic research institution, we are still just as excited as we were in the very beginning to be making new discoveries, potentially ones that will change our society for the better.  The knowledge gained from our study of DNA, or as Dr. Venter...

Synthesizing life on the planet

What’s the smallest number of genes that cells need to grow and reproduce? Is it possible to synthesize minimal genomes and insert them into cells? What do minimal genomes teach us about life? An interview with John Glass, Ph.D.

Top scientists join forces to study leading theory behind long COVID

Several JCVI scientists will be contributing to the newly launched Long Covid Research Initiative — a collaboration of researchers, clinicians, and patients working to rapidly study and treat long Covid.

Hunting for deep-ocean plastics

Through the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Deep Submergence Facility, JCVI's Erin Garza, Ph.D. joins a deep sea expedition to search for ocean plastics aboard the HOV Alvin.

A journey to the center of our cells

Biologists are discovering the true nature of cells—and learning to build their own.

Dr. Hend Alqaderi on paving the way for women in science in the GCC

Hend Alqaderi, a JCVI collaborator and mentee to Marcelo Freire receives the L’Oréal-Unesco Women in Science award

Leonardo Da Vinci: New family tree spans 21 generations, 690 years, finds 14 living male descendants

The surprising results of a decade-long investigation by Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato provide a strong basis for advancing a project researching Leonardo da Vinci's DNA.

Genome Research Papers on Meningococcal Recombination, Psoriasis Variants in China, More

S. pneumoniae sticks to dying lung cells, worsening secondary infection following flu