Overview | In Focus | Funding | Partners | Events | Results/Impacts | Resources | Contacts

Overview

Microorganisms dominate the planet in terms of total biomass, species diversity, and metabolic range. They include pathogens and microbes that benefit higher organisms. They are extremely versatile in terms of the types of chemicals they consume and where they live. Many are of enormous present and future economic value. A microorganism's genome sequence identifies the order of bases in its entire genetic complement and provides a framework for understanding how the organism functions and lives. Microorganisms have significant impacts--some good and some bad--on U.S. agriculture, natural resources, and food safety. CSREES supports research on microbial genomics to better understand how microorganisms live and how they can be manipulated for our benefit.

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In Focus

• CSREES has invested in sequencing more than 25 agriculturally important microorganisms.
• CSREES seeks input on genomics from stakeholders in a variety of ways.

Partnerships

• The CSREES/National Science Foundation Microbial Genome Sequencing Program supports high throughput sequencing of the genomes of microorganisms.

Events

None

Selected Results and Impacts

• CSREES is involved in many other microbial genomic projects.
• CSREES funds research on Johne's disease, a disease of cattle and small ruminants that has a major animal health impact in the United States.
• CSREES is fighting back against head blight (scab), the plant disease that has had the greatest impact on U.S. agriculture and society in the last decade.

Resources

• Annotation and Analysis Informatics, Genome Databases, Broad Institute.
• Fungal Genomics Laboratory, North Carolina State University.
• Genome Glossary, U.S. Department of Energy.


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Contacts

Ann Lichens-Park , Ph.D.

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