Genomics And Its Energy And Environmental Applications

In 1994, as the Human Genome Project was almost halfway to its completion

, the United States Department of Energy conducted the Microbial Genome Program for the genome sequencing of bacteria which are deemed useful in production of energy, remediation of the environmental problems, mitigation of the toxic wastes, and other industrial processes.

Following on that program was the Genomic Science Program which constructs a base for broader knowledge-coming from the Human Genome Project, Systems Biology and the Microbial Genome Program-supporting energy applications, as well as environmental applications. The Genomic Science Program aims to accelerate the understanding of vigorous living systems for solutions to the challenges and problems that constantly bombard the Department of Energy.

Included in the challenges are finding alternative sources of renewable energy, comprehending the biological carbon cycle associated with the global climate change, and cleaning up the environmental garbage.

With the completion of the Microbial Genome Program, and support from the Genomic Science Project, the community sequencing program of DOE's Joint Genome Institute, the DOE's Office of Biological and Environmental Research was able to sequence several hundreds of microbial genomes as well as tens of microbial communities with specialized biological capabilities. Being able to know these genomes help scientists in the Energy and Environmental research to discern how gene movements in whole ecosystem are orchestrated to solve many of life's challenges.

The microbes constituting almost all the earth's biomass have evolved for more than 3.8 billion years. They are found almost everywhere, thriving and surviving the extremities of weather conditions including radiation, acidity, darkness, pressure, salt, heat and cold. They are found to have survived from the environments which are often found to have no traces of other forms of life, and the only nutrients found are from the inorganic substance. The diverseness and scope of their environmental adaptations signify that long ago, the microbes were able to solve the problems for which our scientists continue to seek solutions.

Admittedly, our scientists have only touched the surface of the biodiversity of the microbes. Nevertheless, the knowledge on the huge scope of microbial capabilities has far-reaching and broader impact for the energy, environmental, industrial and even health applications.

Among its promises are development of renewable energy sources like methane and hydrogen and generation of energy, solutions to clean up the toxic wastes from around the world, management of carbon dioxide to solve the global climate change, production of new curative and preventative agents and pathways, being able to detect disease-carrying organisms and precise monitoring of the safety of water and food supplies, better comprehension of the specialized systems utilized by microbial cells to thrive in natural surroundings with other cells, and to utilize the genetically-modified bacteria as biosensors to detect hazardous chemicals in air, water and soil.

by: Charles Godbout

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