The Biological Systems Science Division manages a diverse portfolio of research to develop fundamental biological information and to advance technology in support of DOE’s missions in biology, medicine, and the environment.  The division was formed from the merger of the formerly separate Life Sciences Division and the Medical Sciences Division.  Specific research areas include: Genomics Research

• Genomics:GTL research - to underpin the development of biotechnology solutions for energy, the environment, and carbon sequestration. This program will develop genome-scale technologies needed to understand the workings of microbial and plant systems from proteomics to metabolomics to regulatory networks to ecogenomics. A central element of Genomics:GTL is the development of the computational capabilities and systems needed to model complex biological systems.  Thus, Genomics:GTL is a joint program with the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research.
• GTL Biological Research Centers

Health Sciences Research

• Low dose radiation research - to understand and characterize the risks to human health from exposures to low levels of radiation.
• Radiopharmaceutical and Molecular Nuclear Medicine Science 
• The Advanced Biomedical Technology (ABT) Research Program - supports multidisciplinary, multi-institutional projects that address high-risk medical technology problems.  The research ultimately will lead to the development of medical instruments and techniques that can be transferred to the National Institutes of Health for clinical testing or to industry for further development.
• Advanced Imaging Instrumentation
• ELSI research - to anticipate and address ethical, legal, and social implications arising from BER research.
• DOE Human Subjects Protection Program – to ensure compliance with Federal regulations and DOE Orders to protect human subjects.  All research conducted at DOE, supported with DOE funds, or performed by DOE employees must comply.

Scientific User Facilities 

• Structural Biology - to develop and support DOE national user facilities for use in fundamental structural biology.
• DOE Joint Genome Institute Production Genomics Facility for high throughput DNA sequencing.
• Center for Comparative and Functional Genomics providing expertise in mouse genetics (experimental design, mutagenesis, transgenesis, phenotyping, cryopreservation of embryos and germ cells, and data management) with capabilities for mouse gene discovery and functional characterization.

For additional information about these specific programs, please contact an appropriate staff member.