Recognized as a leader in genomic sequencing and analysis for decades, the Los Alamos capability now spans all ‘omics research to study proteins, transcripts, metabolites, and phenotypes. By combining techniques in genomics and mass spectrometry, B-Division is working towards a true systems-level characterization of biological organisms.

• We can measure and analyze of all of the DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites functioning in a biological system
• Our scientists are applying this expertise to multiple areas of interest:
  
  • Countermeasure development
  • Improving bioenergy/biomanufacturing feedstocks
  • Analyzing the impacts of environment perturbations & climate change
  • Understanding the three-dimensional structure of chromosomes over time and the manifestation of epigenomic changes

Scientists in B-GEN use their genomics expertise to tackle understanding some of the most complex microbial communities in the world. Many of these projects involve large, multi-disciplinary and multi-institution teams:

• Bacterial-Fungal Interactions and Their Roles in Soil Functioning, a DOE Science Focus Area (SFA)
• Terrestrial Microbial Carbon Cycling, a DOE a Science Focus Area (SFA)
• National Microbiome Data Collaborative 

B Division scientists are working to understand and mitigate disease outbreaks in complex environments in many capacities:

• Developing methods to enhance human health and agriculture monitoring.
  
  • Next-generation detection of biological and chemical threats
    
    • Biomarker and signature discovery
    • Reagent and assay development and validation
  • Health analytics
• Studying the impacts of climate on disease emergence and spread in the Ecological Health Security Lab.
• Establishing worldwide trainings in genomics capabilities, collaborations, and bioinformatics to create a network for reliable data analysis and sharing.
• Maintaining a Biosurveillance Gateway website to share capabilities and health analytics platforms such as:
  
  • AIDO
  • RedAlert

Los Alamos advances in bioenergy production and biomanufacturing are built on decades of leadership in genome sequencing and analysis. Bioscience Division scientists have cultivated a complete set of laboratory tools and scientific expertise to fuel the growing bioeconomy.

Species-specific tools developed at Los Alamos are key to creating biofuels/bioproduct-optimized, transgenic algae and plants. Examples of these tools include:

• Telomere-to-Telomere Genome Assembly
• Transcriptome analysis to find native promoters
• Custom expression vectors with native promoters and terminators
• Novel transformation techniques
• High throughput flow cytometry and advanced sorting techniques for strain screening and isolation
• Advanced bioinformatics for multi-omics measurements