Genome Center Content

Plant Biologist Siobhan Brady Named HHMI Investigator

Andy Fell — July 23, 2024 - 12:11pm

Siobhan Brady, a professor in the Department of Plant Biology and Genome Center at the University of California, Davis, has been selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator. The prestigious Investigator program, which Brady describes as “life changing,” will provide her with roughly $9 million in research support over a seven-year term, with the option to renew.

�ٺ��Ƶ Genome Center Names New Director

Cody Kitaura — August 29, 2023 - 9:00pm

Blake Meyers, a principal investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and a professor of plant sciences from the University of Missouri - Columbia, has been named the new director and Novozymes Chair in Genomics at the �ٺ��Ƶ Genome Center. Meyers, who studies plant RNA biology, bioinformatics and functional genomics, will step into the role on March 1.

Genome Study Shows Recent Spread of Eelgrass

Andy Fell — July 21, 2023 - 10:52am

A study of eelgrass DNA shows that this important coastal plant spread from the Pacific to the Atlantic much later than thought. A lack of genetic diversity could make this key species more vulnerable to climate change.

2 �ٺ��Ƶ Faculty Members Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Karen Michele Nikos — April 29, 2022 - 1:30pm

Two faculty from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Established in 1780, the academy honors individuals dedicated to its message and goal of examining new ideas, addressing issues of importance to the nation and the world, and advancing the public good.

New Human Reference Genome Opens Unexplored Regions

Andy Fell — March 31, 2022 - 11:05am

A complete sequence of the human genome has finally been published by an international consortium of scientists. The new reference genome fills in gaps left by earlier drafts, which will help researchers better understand genetic variation and how it can sometimes lead to disease.

Genomics by Africans for Africans

Andy Fell — March 15, 2022 - 11:49am

The African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP) has published a position paper in Nature highlighting the goals, priorities, and roadmap of the Africa-led effort to sequence the genomes of 105,000 species of plants, animals, fungi and protists that are endemic to the continent.

How the Transition to Agriculture Affects Populations in the Present Day

Andy Fell — March 09, 2022 - 9:00am

The transition of human societies from hunter-gatherers to farmers and pastoralists is a more nuanced process than generally thought, according to a new study of peoples living in the highlands of southwest Ethiopia. The work was published March 9 in Current Biology.

Gut Bacteria Differences Between Black and White Women Linked to Insulin Sensitivity

Amy M Quinton — January 19, 2022 - 11:00am

A �ٺ��Ƶ study finds significant differences in gut bacteria between Black and white women, even after accounting for insulin sensitivity status.

Earth BioGenome Project Begins Genome Sequencing in Earnest

Andy Fell — January 18, 2022 - 11:30am

A global effort to map the genomes of all plants, animals, fungi and other eukaryotic life on Earth is entering a new phase as it moves from pilot projects to full-scale production sequencing. This new phase of The Earth BioGenome Project, or EBP, is marked with a collection of papers published this week (Jan. 17) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describing the project’s goals, achievements to date and next steps.

Omicron Variant Detected in More Areas of Yolo County

Karen Michele Nikos — December 22, 2021 - 1:00pm

The �ٺ��Ƶ Genome Center has detected and confirmed an additional 42 cases of the B.1.1.529 (omicron) variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in Yolo County, specifically in Davis, El Macero, West Sacramento and Woodland. The Genome Center had previously detected only two omicron cases, both in West Sacramento. The variant has also been detected in trace amounts in the city of Davis’ sewage through Healthy Davis Together’s wastewater monitoring initiative.