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Coronavirus Research
Overview The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) has been involved in viral sequencing and analysis for more than 25 years, and coronavirus research for more than 15. This work has aided human health through vaccine development; improved food security by protecting crops and livestock; and provides critical data and analysis to researchers around the world. The Institute has also pioneered a synthetic biology platform which is now integral to fighting current and emerging viral threats....
Having Fun with Genomics
I am the generation after landing on the moon. As a child, I don’t recall having any science inspiration. I was fortunate to have parents that made it possible for me and my siblings to get a very good education. I went to a small parochial school outside of Washington, DC. It was a great school but we had no labs and so my exposure to science was limited at best. I always liked school and did well, especially in math. Then I went to Elizabeth Seton High School and had a bumpy...
Heading to the Mother Land — Sweden
After transiting through the Kiel Canal, the waterway that links the North Sea to the Baltic Sea, and welcoming Dr. Venter in a rainy Copenhagen, we embarked for Sweden, my home and one of the main destinations of our 2009 expedition. It was a proud and special moment for me when first mate, John, hoisted the Swedish courtesy flag. Unfortunately, the weather has not been cooperating and was putting a damper on the excitement. My friends and family in Stockholm tell me it has been the...
Guest Speakers Marlo Gottfurcht Longstreet and Dean Ornish Inspire Guests at JCVI‘s “Life at the Speed of Light” Gala
On October 18, J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) hosted our “Life at the Speed of Light” black tie gala featuring special guests Dean Ornish, MD, and Marlo Gottfurcht Longstreet. JCVI welcomed 200 community leaders, sponsors and supporters including Representative Scott Peters, Susan Taylor, Reena Horowitz, Linda Chester, Jack McGrory, Jessie Knight, Jr., Joye Blount, Wendy Walker, Randy Woods, Andrew and Erna Viterbi, Mary Ann Beyster, and JCVI Board Member Bill Walton and...
Prebys Introduces 2024 Grant Funding to Enhance Career Opportunities for Youth Across San Diego County
Background In 2023, The Conrad Prebys Foundation unveiled a strategic plan dedicated to enhancing community well-being by fostering purpose, opportunity, and belonging for every resident. This plan was shaped by over a hundred interviews and an extensive listening tour across the county. The Foundation invests in visual and performing arts, medical research, health care, and youth success, envisioning a future where San Diego County youth have their basic needs met while pursuing...
Clyde A. Hutchison III named as one of Caltech's Distinguished Alumni Awardees for 2012
Clyde Hutchison is Distinguished Investigator in the Synthetic Biology Group headed by Hamilton Smith at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) in San Diego. He received his BS from Yale in 1960 and his PhD in 1968 from Caltech, where he studied with Robert L. Sinsheimer. From 1968 to 2005, he was on the faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he collaborated with Marshall Edgell on early applications of restriction enzymes. While on sabbatical in Fred Sanger’s lab during 1975–1976, he...
Towards the $1,000 Genome: "Hot Topic" Added to TIGR Genome Conference
September 23, 2002 Rockville, MD - September 23, 2002 -- The potential for new genome sequencing technologies will be the focus of a newly added "hot topic" panel discussion - "The Future of Sequencing: Advancing Towards the $1,000 Genome" - that will be part of the opening plenary session of the 14th International Genome Sequencing and Analysis Conference (GSAC 14), to be held in Boston from October 2-5, 2002. The panel will explore new DNA sequencing technologies that have the...
The Volvo Ocean Race
We arrived in Sandhamn at 10 p.m. on June 15th. It was perfect timing because the Volvo Ocean Race boats were arriving around 11 p.m. The Volvo Ocean Race, formally known as the Whitbread “Around the World Race,” began in Alicante on October 11th 2008 and ends in St. Petersburg on June 25th 2009. Sorcerer II was docked in a perfect location to watch the boats come into the finish line. I was not very familiar with the Volvo Ocean Race, but now I know these people are true sailors and...
Genome sequence of Theileria parva, a bovine pathogen that transforms lymphocytes.
We report the genome sequence of Theileria parva, an apicomplexan pathogen causing economic losses to smallholder farmers in Africa. The parasite chromosomes exhibit limited conservation of gene synteny with Plasmodium falciparum, and its plastid-like genome represents the first example where all apicoplast genes are encoded on one DNA strand. We tentatively identify proteins that facilitate parasite segregation during host cell cytokinesis and contribute to persistent infection of...
Scientist Spotlight: Marcelo Freire
Marcelo Freire, an associate professor in the Genomic Medicine and Infectious Disease Department at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), is currently working on decoding immune-microbiome genes and interactions. Growing up in Brazil and a curious person by nature, he often found himself wondering how things work, how animals and plants interact, and why some people get sick and others don’t. He has always pondered what factors control these biological interactions and what role...