DOE Joint Genome Institute

The mission of the JGI is to provide genome sequencing, genome data acquisition, and genome analysis in support of the DOE mission needs in bioenergy, carbon cycling and biosequestration, and environmental remediation and biogeochemical processes.

Program Description

The DOE-JGI was created in 1997 to carry out accurate, high throughput sequencing of human DNA in support of DOE's role in the Human Genome Project (HGP). With the completion of the HGP, the JGI sequencing capacity was refocused on the sequencing and analysis of genomes of the microbes, microbial communities (metagenomes) and other organisms (fungi, plants) important to the DOE mission. Since 2000, the JGI has served as a Scientific User Facility, inviting and responding to requests from the external scientific community for sequencing of microbial, plant, and other (non-human pathogen) targets. In all cases, the aim of the JGI is to provide to the national and international scientific community both the genome-derived "parts lists" as well as high quality computational analyses that support further discovery.

The DOE-JGI publishes an annual Community Science Program solicitation for sequencing targets. This program is typically open to letters of intent until mid-March each year. NOTE: The JGI does NOT provide funding support for sequencing or other research efforts. The Community Science Program (CSP) provides the scientific community at large with access to high-throughput sequencing, as well as other capabilities, of significant scale at the DOE-JGI for projects of relevance to DOE missions. Sequencing projects are chosen based on scientific merit--judged through independent peer review--and relevance to issues in global carbon cycling, energy production, biogeochemistry, and low dose radiation responses. Criteria for participation in this program, the review process, and interactions between JGI and participants can be found in the CSP User Guide. Through this program, the Department of Energy advances sequence-based scientific research from a broad range of disciplines. Five items to note:

  1. CSP proposals for bacterial and archaeal isolates, to be submitted as brief white papers, will be accepted on a continuous basis, and will be reviewed every three months (typically early in February, May, August, and November of each year).

  2. CSP proposals that utilize JGI's expanding capacity for new capabilities and new technology sequencing are encouraged. This includes large-scale metagenome sequencing, transcript profiling, DNA synthesis and resequencing of organisms for which reference genomes currently exist.

  3. JGI is collaborating with the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at PNNL on collaborative projects that make complementary and innovative use of each Lab’s capabilities for science relevant to BER missions.(see: http://www.jgi.doe.gov/CSP/user_guide/index.html#annual)

  4. Proposals requesting sequencing of eukaryotic genomes will be considered but must include demonstration of genome size and polymorphism rate and should be supported by a significant user community.

  5. Periodically, JGI has a solicitation for new emerging technologies (Emerging Technologies Opportunity Program); for more information, see http://www.jgi.doe.gov/programs/ETOP/index.html.

Data Sharing Policy

The DOE-JGI data release policy is accessible at: http://my.jgi.doe.gov/general/datarelease.html

Sequencing of submitted projects by the program is contingent on adherence to the DOE-JGI data release policy. It is also expected that organisms sequenced by the JGI will be deposited in public repositories to ensure public access to sequenced strains.

More Information about the Program and Its Accomplishments

DOE-JGI Site: http://www.jgi.doe.gov/

Program Manager

Ramana Madupu, Ph.D.
Biological Systems Science Division, SC-23.2
U.S. Department of Energy, GTN Bldg.
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585-1290
Phone: (301)-903-1398
Work Cell : 301 366 2916
Email: [email protected]