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Synthetic Genomics, Inc. Launched to Develop New Approaches to Biological Energy
Rockville, MD – June 29, 2005 – Synthetic Genomics, Inc., a new company that will develop and commercialize synthetic biology, was launched today. The Company will engineer modular “cassette” based systems to execute specific functions using reprogrammed cells as bio-factories. Synthetic Genomics, Inc.’s initial focus will be on ethanol and hydrogen production. After leveraging enormous archives of genomic sequence data, the Company will integrate novel processes to design,...
Scientists map how iron, a critical mineral for survival, is processed by algae, a cornerstone of the ocean food web
(La Jolla, California)—March 18, 2021—Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Harvard University, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) have made significant strides in understanding how iron is processed beneath the cell surface in Phaeodactylum tricornutum, a model marine diatom, publishing their results today in the journal eLife. Diatoms are among the most abundant type of algae found in oceans worldwide contributing up to 40 percent of the 45 to 50 billion metric...
Genes necessary for cell division in modern bacterial cells identified
(La Jolla, California)—March 29, 2021—Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have identified 5 genes of previously unknown function which are used in cell division by nearly all modern bacterial species. Identifying these genes is an extension of decades of synthetic biology advances at JCVI, expanding on our understanding of the first principles of life. JCVI constructed...
SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Tracking
The Bacterial Viral Bioinformatic Resource Center (BV-BRC) is proud to introduce a new resource with the goal of providing live tracking of SARS-CoV-2 mutations. This real-time resource will provide regular reports focused on “Variants and Lineages of Concern” (VoCs/LoCs), and will serve as an early warning system for variants that are increasing in frequency in specific geographical locations.
J. Craig Venter Institute Scientists to Investigate Role of Opioid Abuse in HIV and HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders Pathogenesis through $4.7M NIDA Grant
(La Jolla, California)—February 25, 2021—J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) scientists, led by Christine Cheng, Ph.D., have been awarded a $4.7 million, 5-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to study the effects of opioid abuse on the progression of HIV and its relationship to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). Dr. Cheng recently joined JCVI’s faculty as an associate professor. The grant was originally...
Influenza A Virus Discovered in Heart Muscle Tissue Causing Damage Long After It Has Cleared from the Lungs
(Rockville, Maryland)—January 27, 2021—Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) have discovered that Influenza A virus (IAV) is found in heart tissue after it has been cleared from the lungs in mouse models. Live IAV present during convalescence does not actively replicate, preventing development of antiviral inflammatory responses, thus cloaking it from the immune system. Undetected, the virus continues to disrupt mitochondrial function, causing a metabolic breakdown and...
Hamilton O. Smith, M.D., Synthetic Biology Pioneer and Nobel Laureate, to Step Down from Daily Duties at J. Craig Venter Institute
(La Jolla, California)—December 22, 2020—Hamilton O. Smith, M.D., Nobel Laureate, distinguished professor and scientific director of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) Synthetic Biology Group, is retiring from daily duties at the Institute effective December 31, 2020. Dr. Smith will continue advancing JCVI’s mission through authorship and an advisory role as a professor emeritus. Reflecting on this moment, J. Craig Venter, Ph.D. said, “It has been an honor of a lifetime to...
Scientists set a path for field trials of gene drive organisms
The modern rise of gene drive research, accelerated by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, has led to transformational waves rippling across science. Gene drive organisms (GDOs), developed with select traits that are genetically engineered to spread through a population, have the power to dramatically alter the way society develops solutions to a range of daunting health and environmental challenges, from controlling dengue fever and malaria to protecting crops against plant pests. But...
FR-Match: robust matching of cell type clusters from single cell RNA sequencing data using the Friedman-Rafsky non-parametric test.
Single cell/nucleus RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) is emerging as an essential tool to unravel the phenotypic heterogeneity of cells in complex biological systems. While computational methods for scRNAseq cell type clustering have advanced, the ability to integrate datasets to identify common and novel cell types across experiments remains a challenge. Here, we introduce a cluster-to-cluster cell type matching method-FR-Match-that utilizes supervised feature selection for dimensionality reduction...
Unique Antibody Pattern Discovered in COVID-19 ICU Patients May Be Key to Predicting Severe Outcomes
While news of promising COVID-19 vaccine trials is heartening, the fight to control infection rates and develop effective treatments will be an ongoing challenge for science for years to come. Gene Tan, PhD and his collaborators are working on identifying testing models and tools that will allow more labs to safely work on the disease, identifying varying inflammatory responses to the disease for more targeted testing and treatment plans, and identifying...