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Scientist Spotlight: Lauren Oldfield

Since high school, Lauren Oldfield, PhD found that science was her calling. It started with a love of reading encouraged by her mom and grandmother, both avid readers, and weekly trips to the public library. Books by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston were staples in her grandmother’s collection. After devouring “The Hot Zone,” a fictionalized account of an almost outbreak of Ebola in the United States, microbiology and the study of infectious diseases became her...

J. Craig Venter will deliver the Mendel Lecture June 18th at the European Human Genetics Conference.

Zymo Research Recognized by NASA for its Support of Research Aboard the International Space Station

IRVINE, Calif., June 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Zymo Research recently received recognition and appreciation from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Human Research Program for their support and involvement in the development of a specialized DNA/RNA Shield™ Swab Collection Device. This device is a critical component for the research being conducted by The Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Collaborative aboard the International Space Station. The HHC's aim is to...

Oral bacteria 'battle royale' helps explain how a pathogen causes hospital infections

Hundreds of different bacterial species are living inside your mouth. Some are highly abundant, while others are scarce. A few of these oral bacteria are known pathogens. Others are benign, or even beneficial. Scientists know the genetic makeup of about 70 percent of oral bacteria. What they don't know is which species would live the longest without nutrients in a "battle royale"--so they decided to find out. The results help explain how certain dangerous bacteria are able to persist in a...

When Starved, Dangerous Oral Bacteria Hang On

J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) postdoctoral fellow, Jonathon Baker, PhD and a team of researchers from JCVI, University of Washington, the University of California, Los Angeles, and The Forsyth Institute recently published their findings from the first study to examine the ecological dynamics of the oral microbiome during long-term starvation. It is well-understood that many bacteria have evolved to survive adverse environmental events such as starvation, desiccation, and rapid changes in...

How to Bake a (Fungal) Turkey

From the kitchen of Stephanie Mounaud, Scientific Project Manager at JCVI Ingredients Media base (see media recipe) Agar Aspergillus terreus (multiple strains) Aspergillus niger Aspergillus fumigatus Aspergillus oryzae Pencillium marneffi Aspergillus flavus Instructions Start with a complex mixture of chemicals to make trace elements media. Sprinkle a little agar in there to get things...

Scientist Spotlight: Todd Michael

A love of science began for Todd Michael, PhD when his 7th grade teacher had him write a report on tree leaves. After collecting different leaves and looking up their tree type, he realized that although all of the trees were similar, they grew different types of leaves. He was certain there was a reason and was determined to figure it out. This moment was the spark that inspired Todd’s interest in reading and interpreting the genetic code that determines differences between...

Fighting Back Against Flu

The 1918 influenza pandemic, which affected 500 million people globally and caused 50-100 million deaths, was the most severe pandemic in recorded history. Over the course of the last 100 years, advances in science and medicine have provided the tools to address influenza much more successfully. However, despite vaccines and supportive medical interventions such as antivirals and antibiotics, influenza remains a public health problem and can be deadly for the very young, the elderly, and the...

Scientist Spotlight: Marcelo Freire

Marcelo Freire, an associate professor in the Genomic Medicine and Infectious Disease Department at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), is currently working on decoding immune-microbiome genes and interactions. Growing up in Brazil and a curious person by nature, he often found himself wondering how things work, how animals and plants interact, and why some people get sick and others don’t.  He has always pondered what factors control these biological interactions and what role he...

Rainbow Around The Son Book Chronicles a Mother’s Love and the Mutant p53 Gene

Rainbow Around The Son, a new book by Marlo Gottfurcht Longstreet, is a memoir of her journey after her 11-year-old son Tanner is diagnosed with a Glioblastoma. The book, which is available in paperback and eBook format, became a bestseller on Amazon. Marlo Gottfurcht Longstreet’s world was turned upside down when her son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. That, it turned out was just the beginning. In her raw, emotional memoir, she describes the experience from a loving mother’s point of...