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Summer 2016 Intern Program
Interns in both Rockville, MD and La Jolla, CA participated in our summer 2016 internship program at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). A total of 19 interns were hired for the summer 2016 program, selected from 578 applicants. Of the 19 interns, six interns were part of the Genomic Scholar Program (GSP) that is a transition program focusing on the leap from a community college to a four-year college using a combination of activities including undergraduate research experience with mentoring...
Research Impact: Accelerating Efforts to Contain and Prevent the Zika Virus (ZIKV)
The rapidly developing Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak has research groups, government agencies, and industry is all striving to develop a response plan to contain and ultimately prevent ZIKV spread. Currently JCVI is working with both private and public sector funders to sequence and analyze historical and current ZIKV strains. Work at JCVI is geared toward developing sensitive ZIKV diagnostics, significantly increasing the number of ZIKV genomic sequences available, and performing cutting-edge...
Genomic Workshop for Native American College students
A Genomic Science Workshop was held last week (May 24-26, 2016) at the J Craig Venter Institute Rockville campus for a group of ten Native American college students. The students participated in two full-day intensive training activities learning how to study the “microbiome” of natural water sources. Each student had the chance to perform hands-on lab work including DNA isolation from an environmental water source, PCR of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, and gel electrophoresis....
Unlocking the Mysteries of the Microbiome
In the early 2000s, JCVI researchers pioneered in the exploration of the human microbiome, the community of microbes that live in and on the human body. Originally while at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR, now part of JCVI) Drs. Craig Venter and Hamilton Smith were awarded a grant from DARPA to examine the microbes found in the human gut. This work was carried out by researchers at JCVI and published in 2006 in Science. While this team had previously published 16S surveys of the human...
JCVI Promotes Science Literacy in the U.S.
The issue of our society’s science literacy continues to circulate through the media. Recently, reporters focused on results of the Pew Research Center’s Science Knowledge Quiz, which indicates that most Americans would score a grade of C on a basic science test. The gender and racial gaps revealed by the study were equally discouraging. Our planet is in crisis, and we need to mobilize all our intellectual forces to save it. One solution could lie in building a scientifically...
JCVI’s Global Voyage of Discovery Continues
Global Ocean Sampling Expedition Planned for 2016 Over the past 12 years, JCVI’s Global Ocean Sampling (GOS) Expedition has continued to explore all of the world’s oceans, along with major inland seas such as the Baltic and Mediterranean. The research team maintains ongoing sampling in the waters off of California and in extreme conditions such as Antarctica and the Amazon River. JCVI’s effort is the largest marine microbial study to date, quantifying both the taxonomic and...
JCVI Gala “2015: A Genome Odyssey” Celebrates Discovery
On October 24th, JCVI welcomed 200 guests to our third annual gala “2015: A Genome Odyssey.” Our annual gala has become a signature La Jolla event, and this year’s guests were not disappointed. Guests experienced an evening odyssey through land, sea and space interacting with JCVI scientists to learn first-hand what explorations are happening today. Proceeds from the gala will support JCVI’s Innovation Fund. As in past galas, our research was the focus. Guests learned how scientists...
Q&A with Jessie J. Knight, Jr.
The JCVI CEO Council is a small group of distinguished men and women who are thought leaders in business, medicine, law, the arts and humanities, and community affairs. JCVI is fortunate to have individuals willing to serve as knowledgeable and enthusiastic ambassadors for our scientists and their research, and we are excited to introduce you to our inaugural member, Jessie J. Knight, Jr., Executive Vice President for External Relations at Sempra Energy. Knight is a board member of the...
JCVI Scientist Tackles Global Sanitation Challenges
Orianna Bretschger received her B.S. in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Northern Arizona. After a five- year career in aerospace and consulting, she completed a PhD in Materials Science at the University of Southern California. Eager to focus her efforts on alternative energy and sustainability, she joined the J. Craig Venter Institute in 2008. Over the course of her research tenure, Dr. Bretschger has established a productive team of researchers dedicated to understanding the...
Dr. Venter Delivers UCSD 2015 School of Medicine Commencement
Full text for the address follows. J. Craig Venter, PhD, UCSD , 2015 School of Medicine Commencement Address Chancellor Khosla, Dean Brenner, Dean Savoia, UC Regent Charlene Zettel, UC Regent Sheldon Engelhorn, invited guests, families and graduates, thank you for inviting me to speak to you on your very special day, and Congratulations on making it to this momentous occasion! It’s always an honor for me to give commencement speeches but it’s especially gratifying to come back...