The Genomics: GTL program supports fundamental research on plant and microbial systems biology to advance DOE missions in energy, climate, and environment.

Program Description

The Genomics: GTL program underpins the development of biotechnology solutions for energy, the environment, and carbon sequestration. The support of fundamental research on microbes and plants emphasizes understanding systems biology across multiple scales of organization—from the molecular, cellular, to the community and ecosystem level. The goal is to gain insights about fundamental biological processes and, ultimately, a predictive understanding of how living systems operate, to enable functional design of biological systems for DOE mission needs.

• GTL Program Objectives
  • Determine the genomic properties, molecular and regulatory mechanisms, and resulting functional potential of microbes, plants, and biological communities central to DOE missions.
  • Develop the experimental capabilities and enabling technologies needed to achieve a genome-based, dynamic system-level understanding of organism and community functions.
  • Develop the knowledgebase, computational infrastructure, and modeling capabilities to advance the understanding, prediction, and manipulation of complex biological systems.
• The GTL research portfolio includes discovery-driven science, hypothesis-driven science, technology development, and foundational research.
• The GTL Program management is guided by the following principles:
  • Maintains strategically managed research portfolio to respond to both existing and emerging national priorities and mission needs.
  • Selects research projects based on mission-relevance, scientific merit, and peer review.
  • Supports research conducted by individual investigators, collaborative teams, and research centers at DOE national laboratories, academic institutions, and industry.
  • Establishes and utilizes user facilities, integrated capabilities, and centers.
  • Leverages capabilities and resources across BER programs and scientific user facilities.
  • Encourages communication across the scientific community through the annual GTL program meeting, workshops focused on specific issues or research topics, symposia, and exhibits at national meetings.
  • Fosters an atmosphere of open access to data and information.
  • Coordinates with other DOE programs and federal agencies.

Solicitations

The program is not presently soliciting research applications.

Future grant solicitation notices will be posted on the DOE Office of Science Grants and Contracts Web Site and at grants.gov. Information about preparing and submitting applications, as well as the DOE Office of Science merit review process, is at the DOE Office of Science Grants and Contracts Web Site.

The most recently closed solicitation (Notice 08-12 biohydrogen) was for Systems Biology, Model Organism Development, and Enzyme Discovery for Biological Hydrogen Production. If focused It focused on characterizing enzymatic structure and function, modeling regulatory and metabolic networks, and engineering of enzymes and organisms to improve biological hydrogen production for a future carbon-neutral hydrogen economy. Preapplications were required and were due February 22, 2008. 75 preapplications were received and reviewed; 32 of the preapplications were selected for submission as formal applications. 10 of these formal applications were selected for funding.

Benefits to the Nation

Genomics: GTL science is providing fundamental knowledge of how plants and microbes operate in functional environmental systems. This knowledge serves as the foundation for sustainable, carbon-neutral bioenergy production, carbon biosequestration for climate change mitigation, and innovative technologies for environmental cleanup.

Data Sharing Policy

The DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) has established specific guidelines and requirements for data and all publishable information resulting from GTL-funded research. The complete Data and Information Sharing Policy statement is available at www.genomicsgtl.energy.gov/datasharing/.

Funding of projects by the program is contingent on adherence to this data sharing policy.

More Information about the Program and Its Accomplishments

• The GTL research program leverages resources at major DOE facilities (e.g. DOE’s light sources, DNA sequencing capabilities at the DOE Joint Genome Institute, analytical capabilities at the Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory, and world-class leadership computing resources).
• Recent notable GTL program accomplishments include:
  • Pioneering the use of metagenomics, proteomics, and advanced imaging tools to determine composition and functional properties of mission relevant microbial communities (e.g. Global Ocean Survey, termite hindgut, acid mine drainage community, H2-producing microbial mats).
  • Developing new combinations of experimental and computational approaches for modeling metabolic and gene regulatory networks necessary to understand complex systems biology of microbes including Geobacter, Desulfovibrio, Shewanella, and Caulobacter.
  • Employing new high-resolution imaging and analytical tools for the identification of protein complexes and characterization of their structure and function in microbes such as Shewanella oneidensis and Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Accelerating the sequencing of microbial genomes and expansion of databases, computational tools, and other resources necessary to advance comparative genomics and systems biology research.

Program Website:

www.genomicsgtl.energy.gov

Program Contacts

Email: Genomicsgtl@science.doe.gov