Production Genomics

Courtesy of William Ghiorse (2 Termononaspora images) and Margie Romine (Sphingomonas image)The two images at left are of Termononaspora fusca.Right: Sphingomonas aromaticivorans Be forewarned. Visitors to Walnut Creek, Calif., may want to leave their pets at home to keep them from becoming fodder for gene sequencers. The Joint Genome Institute (JGI) at Walnut Creek, genome central for the U.S. Department of Energy, is one of the largest sequencing operations in the world, where "it turns out it

Written byDave Amber
| 8 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
8:00
Share

Courtesy of William Ghiorse (2 Termononaspora images) and Margie Romine (Sphingomonas image)

The two images at left are of Termononaspora fusca.
Right: Sphingomonas aromaticivorans

Be forewarned. Visitors to Walnut Creek, Calif., may want to leave their pets at home to keep them from becoming fodder for gene sequencers. The Joint Genome Institute (JGI) at Walnut Creek, genome central for the U.S. Department of Energy, is one of the largest sequencing operations in the world, where "it turns out it's more of a question of what not to do next," says Paul Predki, associate director for production genomics. Predki directs sequencing operations at the institute, which announced in November the rapid sequencing of 15 bacterial genomes in its October month-long "Microbial Marathon," as well as the beginning of a large Fugu rubripes (puffer fish) sequencing project that may amuse sushi eaters around the globe.

The microbial marathon came six months after JGI's proud ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Published In

Share
Illustration of a developing fetus surrounded by a clear fluid with a subtle yellow tinge, representing amniotic fluid.
January 2026

What Is the Amniotic Fluid Composed of?

The liquid world of fetal development provides a rich source of nutrition and protection tailored to meet the needs of the growing fetus.

View this Issue
Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Beckman Coulter Logo
Skip the Wait for Protein Stability Data with Aunty

Skip the Wait for Protein Stability Data with Aunty

Unchained Labs
Graphic of three DNA helices in various colors

An Automated DNA-to-Data Framework for Production-Scale Sequencing

illumina

Products

nuclera logo

Nuclera eProtein Discovery System installed at leading Universities in Taiwan

Brandtech Logo

BRANDTECH Scientific Introduces the Transferpette® pro Micropipette: A New Twist on Comfort and Control

Biotium Logo

Biotium Launches GlycoLiner™ Cell Surface Glycoprotein Labeling Kits for Rapid and Selective Cell Surface Imaging

Colorful abstract spiral dot pattern on a black background

Thermo Scientific X and S Series General Purpose Centrifuges

Thermo Fisher Logo