Genomics:GTL

New GTL Awards for FY 2007

Bioenergy Research Centers

The U. S. Department of Energy is investing up to $375 million in three new Bioenergy Research Centers. The Centers are intended to accelerate basic research in the development of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels. A major focus is on understanding how to reengineer biological processes to develop new, more efficient methods for converting the cellulose in plant material into ethanol or other biofuels that serve as a substitute for gasoline.

DOE BioEnergy Science Center led by the DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Center Director is Martin Keller. Collaborators include: Georgia Institute of Technology, DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Georgia, and University of Tennessee.

DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center led by the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, in collaboration with Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Center Director is Timothy Donohue. Other collaborators include DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Lucigen Corporation, University of Florida, DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Illinois State University, and Iowa State University.

DOE Joint BioEnergy Institute led by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Institute Director is Jay Keasling. Collaborators include Sandia National Laboratories; DOE's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Davis; and Stanford University.

More on Bioenergy Research Centers

Individual Research Awards

Analytical and Imaging Technologies for Studying Lignocellulosic Material Degradation

GenomicsGTL.energy.gov/news/LAB0712.pdf

• "A New Solution-State NMR Approach to Elucidate Fungal and Enzyme/Mediator Delignification Pathways," Ken Hammel, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• "Development of Modular Platforms for In Vivo Mapping of Local Metabolite Concentrations Important to Cell Wall Degradation by Microorganisms," Chris Hunt, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• "Dynamic Molecular Imaging of Lignocellulose Processing in Single Cells," Mike Thelen, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• "Dynamic Visualization of Lignocellulose Degradation by Integration of Neutron Scattering Imaging and Computer Simulation," Barbara Evans, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• "Integrated Nondestructive Spatial and Chemical Analysis of Lignocellulosic Materials During Pretreatment and Bioconversion to Ethanol," Gary Peter, University of Florida
• "Mechanism of Cellulose Degradation by Cellulosomes at the Single-Molecule Level," Haw Yang, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• "Study of Lignocellulosic Material Degradation with CARS Microscopy," Sunney Xie, Harvard College and Shi-You Ding, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• "Synchrotron Infrared Spectromicroscopy of Cellulose Degradation Strategies of Living Cellulolytic Bacteria," Hoi-Ying Holman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• "Three Dimensional Molecular Imaging of Ionic Liquid Processing of Lignocellulosic Materials," Paul Bohn, University of Notre Dame

Genomic Strategies and Technologies for Studying Complex Microbial Communities

www.sc.doe.gov/grants/LAB07_14.html

• "Coupling Function to Genomics in Microbial Communities Via Single-Cell Analysis," Mary Lidstrom, University of Washington
• "Development of Proteogenomic Approaches to Analyze the Role of Virus-Microbe Interactions in Shaping Natural Microbial Communities," Jillian Banfield, University of California, Berkeley and Nathan Verberkmoes, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• "Massively Parallel, Microfluidics-Enabled Single Cell Analysis of Lignocellulose Conversion by Termite Hindgut Microbes," Jared Leadbetter, California Institute of Technology
• "Microbial Gene Expression in the Ocean: Community Gene Function and Dynamics Revealed," Edward DeLong, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• "Profiling Microbial Identity and Activity: Novel Applications of NanoSIMS and High Density Microarrays," Eoin Brodie, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Paul Hoeprich, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• "To Bioethanol Through Genomics of Microbial Synergies," Slava Epstein, Northeastern University

Genomic Strategies and Technologies for Validating Genome Sequence Annotation

www.sc.doe.gov/grants/LAB07_14.html

• "An HTP Strategy for Annotation of Fungal Glycosyl Hydrolases," Scott Baker, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Frank Collart, Argonne National Laboratory
• "Annotation of Novel Enzymatic Functions in Methanogens," John Orban, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute
• "Assignment of Enzymatic Function for Core Metabolic Enzymes," Frank Collart, Argonne National Laboratory
• "Characterization of Sensor Proteins and Domains," Frank Collart, Argonne National Laboratory and William Studier, Brookhaven National Laboratory
• "Experimental Definition and Validation of Protein Coding Transcripts in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii," Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• "Gene Annotation by High Throughput Identification of Binding Domains," Andrew Bradbury, Los Alamos National Laboratory
• "Gene Map-MS: Gene Annotation Validation Through Metabolomics and Proteomics by Mass Spectrometry," Gary Siuzdak, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• "NanoSIP: Developing Community Imaging for Phylogenetic and Functional Characterization Using Cyanobacterial Mats," Leslie Bebout, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Peter Weber, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• "Phylogenomics-Guided Validation of Function for Conserved Unknown Genes," Valerie de Crecy-Lagard, University of Florida
• "Use of Modern Chemical Protein Synthesis and Advanced Fluorescent Assay Techniques to Experimentally Validate the Functional Annotation of Microbial Genomes," Stephen Kent, University of Chicago

Quantitative Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering for Biological Hydrogen Production

GenomicsGTL.energy.gov/news/LAB0713.pdf

• "Application and Optimization of a Multi-Use Affinity Probe (MAP) Toolkit for a Systems-Level Understanding of Hydrogenase," Tom Squier, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• "A Systems Biology Platform for Characterizing Regulatory and Metabolic Pathways that Influence and Control Microbial Hydrogen Production," Jim Collins, Boston University
• "Bioengineering and Coordination of Regulatory Networks and Intracellular Complexes to Maximize Hydrogen Production by Phototrophic Microorganisms," F. Robert Tabita, Ohio State University and Jim Liao, University of California, Los Angeles
• "Development of Biologically-Based Assays to Study Rate-Limiting Factors in Algal Hydrogen Production," Maria Ghirardi, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• "Metabolic Modeling for Maximizing Photobiological H₂ Production in Cyanobacteria," Alex Beliaev, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• "Networks Impacting Solar-Powered Hydrogen Production," Daniel Noguera, University of Wisconsin
• "Quantitative Tools for Dissection of Hydrogen-Producing Metabolic Networks," Josh Rabinowitz, Princeton University
• "Redirection of Metabolism of Hydrogen Production," Caroline Harwood, University of Washington

Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications (ELSI) of Research on Alternative Bioenergy Technologies, Synthetic Genomics, or Nanotechnologies

www.science.doe.gov/grants/FAPN07-16.html

• "Analysis of Global Economic and Environmental Impacts of a Substantial Increase in Bioenergy Production," Wallace Tyner, Purdue University
• "Biofuel Mandates and Mass Balance: Community-Level Socioeconomic and Land Use Impacts in the Pacific Northwest," David Anderson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• "Ethics and Synthetic Genomics: Bioenergy Collaboration," Paul Rabinow, University of California, Berkeley
• "Growth in Biofuels Markets: Long Term Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts," Seth Meyer, University of Missouri
• "Integrating ELSI Into the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory," Amy Wolfe, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• "Intellectual Property and U.S. Public Investments in Research on Biofuel Technologies," Alan Bennett, University of California, Davis
• "Lessons from Experience About Societal Responses to Emerging Technologies Perceived as Involving Risks," Thomas Wilbanks, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• "Mechanisms for Transnational Coordination and Harmonization of Nanotechnology Governance in Support of Bioenergy Development," Gary Marchant, Arizona State University
• "Meeting the Demand for Biofuels: Impact on Land Use and Carbon Mitigation," Madhu Khanna, University of Illinois
• "Science Literacy Project for Mid-Career Public Radio Reporters, Producers, Editors, News Directors and Members of the Ethnic Media," Bari Scott, SoundVision Productions
• "The Biofuels Revolution: Understanding the Social, Cultural and Economic Impacts of Biofuels Development on Rural Communities," Theresa Selfa, Kansas State University