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April
24, 2003
Energy
Department Awards $9 Million for Energy Related
Genomic Research
Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives to
Explore and Develop Clean Energy and Environmental
Alternatives
ROCKVILLE, MD -- Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham
announced today that the department will increase
its funding to the Institute for Biological Energy
Alternatives (IBEA) for research to better understand
microbial communities and to develop new, biological
methods to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
and to produce hydrogen.
The department will fund IBEA, headed by J. Craig
Venter, Ph.D., $3 million per year for the next
three years. This is in addition to the current
three-year Department of Energy (DOE) grant to
IBEA of $1 million per year.
"Craig Venter is a pioneer who led the private
sector effort in genomic research of the 20th
century and we are excited that he is focusing
his techniques on America's energy challenges
of the 21st century," Secretary Abraham said.
"These additional funds may lead to the development
of new methods for carbon sequestration or alternative
energy production and will work to engineer a
particular type of microbe that could produce
hydrogen, an important component in our clean
energy future."
Secretary Abraham made remarks to IBEA researchers
and staff from the affiliate organization, The
Institute for Genomics Research (TIGR). TIGR will
collaborate with IBEA on the work.
With the new funds, IBEA scientists will determine
the genetic sequences of all the microorganisms
occurring in a natural microbial community. Microbes
are prevalent in the environment -- there can
be many thousands of different organisms in a
teaspoon of soil or water -- but the Sargasso
Sea is an environment with a manageable number
of microbes, and researchers have initially begun
studies on samples from there. The studies will
enable scientists to discover biochemical pathways
and organisms that may lead to the development
of new methods for carbon sequestration or alternative
energy production.
IBEA's research is related to the department's
Genomes to Life program managed by DOE's Office
of Science. The Genomes to Life program aims to
use the department's unique computational capabilities
and research facilities to understand the activities
of single-cell organisms on three levels: the
proteins and multi-molecular machines that perform
most of the cell's work; the gene regulatory networks
that control these processes; and microbial associations
or communities in which groups of different microbes
carry out fundamental functions in nature. Once
researchers understand how life functions at the
microbial level, they hope to use the capabilities
of these organisms to help meet many of our national
challenges in energy and the environment. The
program will combine research in biology, engineering
and computation with the development of novel
facilities for high-throughput biology projects.
More information on the Genomes to Life program
is on the Web at www.genomestolife.org.
IBEA, a nonprofit scientific research institution,
is seeking ways to use biology and genetics to
reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is released
into the atmosphere by current sources of energy
such as petroleum and coal. It also will seek
to produce clean fuels. More information on IBEA
is available at www.bioenergyalts.org.
Media Contact:
Number: PR-03-086
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