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Policy and Regulatory Issues for Gene Drives in Insects
Workshop Report
Scientists around the world, including leading researchers at the University of California, are working to apply gene editing technologies to quickly “drive” desired traits throughout populations of insects. The hope is that the method could be used to engineer populations of insects in the wild, with the goal of reducing insect-borne diseases such as malaria or dengue fever, or controlling agricultural pests, such as those that transmit citrus greening disease. Many benefits could be...
Systems Biology for Molecular Analysis of Tuberculosis in Ethiopia
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is estimated to have infected one third of the world’s population based on reports from surveys on positive skin tuberculin tests. There are 22 high-burden countries globally, among them Ethiopia, accounting for 80% of all active tuberculosis cases. The clonal relatedness of strains circulating in humans and other potential reservoirs is poorly understood. Molecular epidemiology is gaining importance in tracking strains and addressing key public health...
Metagenomic exploration of viruses throughout the Indian Ocean.
The characterization of global marine microbial taxonomic and functional diversity is a primary goal of the Global Ocean Sampling Expedition. As part of this study, 19 water samples were collected aboard the Sorcerer II sailing vessel from the southern Indian Ocean in an effort to more thoroughly understand the lifestyle strategies of the microbial inhabitants of this ultra-oligotrophic region. No investigations of whole virioplankton assemblages have been conducted on waters collected from...
Functional tradeoffs underpin salinity-driven divergence in microbial community composition.
Bacterial community composition and functional potential change subtly across gradients in the surface ocean. In contrast, while there are significant phylogenetic divergences between communities from freshwater and marine habitats, the underlying mechanisms to this phylogenetic structuring yet remain unknown. We hypothesized that the functional potential of natural bacterial communities is linked to this striking divide between microbiomes. To test this hypothesis, metagenomic sequencing...
Influence of nutrients and currents on the genomic composition of microbes across an upwelling mosaic.
Metagenomic data sets were generated from samples collected along a coastal to open ocean transect between Southern California Bight and California Current waters during a seasonal upwelling event, providing an opportunity to examine the impact of episodic pulses of cold nutrient-rich water into surface ocean microbial communities. The data set consists of ~5.8 million predicted proteins across seven sites, from three different size classes: 0.1-0.8, 0.8-3.0 and 3.0-200.0 μm. Taxonomic and...
Genomes and gene expression across light and productivity gradients in eastern subtropical Pacific microbial communities.
Transitions in community genomic features and biogeochemical processes were examined in surface and subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) microbial communities across a trophic gradient from mesotrophic waters near San Diego, California to the oligotrophic Pacific. Transect end points contrasted in thermocline depth, rates of nitrogen and CO2 uptake, new production and SCM light intensity. Relative to surface waters, bacterial SCM communities displayed greater genetic diversity and...
England, Here We Come!
In calm and clear conditions on May 11 Sorcerer II set sail for Plymouth, England. We enjoyed our brief stay in the Azores, but we were all excited to get to the U.K. and complete our North Atlantic crossing. As I mentioned in previous entries, we took samples near areas studied by the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries IMAR-University of the Azores (DOP/UAç). We sailed from Faial to the neighboring island of Pico to collect the first sample. On our second day...
In Memory of Dr. J. Robert Beyster
The JCVI family mourns the loss of a true friend and generous supporter, Dr. J. Robert Beyster. Dr. Beyster was a World War II Veteran, a nuclear engineer whose research propelled the Department of Defense's weapons systems and submarines into the future of war fighting, but most notably, he founded Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), an employee-owned multi-billion dollar corporation. The Beyster Family have been generous supporters of science programs at the...
Complete genome sequence of Caulobacter crescentus.
The complete genome sequence of Caulobacter crescentus was determined to be 4,016,942 base pairs in a single circular chromosome encoding 3,767 genes. This organism, which grows in a dilute aquatic environment, coordinates the cell division cycle and multiple cell differentiation events. With the annotated genome sequence, a full description of the genetic network that controls bacterial differentiation, cell growth, and cell cycle progression is within reach. Two-component signal...
TIGR / HGS Funding Relationship Reaches Early Conclusion
June 24, 1997 ROCKVILLE, MD-- June 24, 1997 -- The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) and Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (HGS) (NASDAQ: HGSI) today announced that they have signed an agreement whereby HGS will cease future payments to TIGR in return for relinquishing rights to future work done by TIGR. While this ends the TIGR/HGS relationship, HGS will retain all rights to patents granted now or in the future on work by TIGR prior to this agreement. Additionally, TIGR agrees not to...