Systems Biology for Energy and the Environment
The Genomic Science program pursues fundamental research to understand, predict, manipulate, and design plant and microbial systems for innovations in renewable energy, insights into environmental processes, and biotechnological breakthroughs supporting the U.S. bioeconomy.

Bioenergy
Providing the foundational genomics-based knowledge needed to produce and deconstruct renewable plant biomass and convert it to sustainable fuels, chemicals, and other bioproducts.

Biosystems Design
Accelerating the ability to securely design, build, and control plants and microbes for beneficial purposes such as clean energy, biomaterials, and carbon sequestration.

Environmental Microbiome
Developing a process-level understanding of how plant and soil microbial communities impact the cycling and fate of carbon, nutrients, and contaminants in the environment.
Enabling Capabilities
Computing and Cyberinfrastructure
Open-access and integrated computational and bioinformatic capabilities tailored to large-scale data science for research on plants, microbes, and their communities
Biomolecular Characterization and Imaging Science
Imaging and measurement technologies enabling visualization of the relationships among biomolecules, cellular compartments, and higher-order biological systems
DOE Scientific User Facilities
Integrated capabilities across user facilities and resources for genome sequencing and analysis, DNA design and synthesis, molecular sciences, structural biology, and imaging
Bioenergy Research Centers
Four Bioenergy Research Centers—each led by a DOE national laboratory or top university—take distinctive approaches to the common goal of improving and scaling up advanced biofuel and bioproduct production processes.
The multidisciplinary teams are tackling fundamental science challenges in:
- Sustainability
- Feedstock development
- Deconstruction and separation
- Conversion
Their research is identifying the genomic underpinnings of complex plant traits in promising bioenergy crops and streamlining deconstruction processes to funnel plant components into defined process streams. The centers are designing new pathways in microbes to convert plant biomass to a range of fuels, chemicals, and bioproducts. They also are developing the agronomic understanding needed to sustainably manage and produce bioenergy crops on marginal lands.
Select BRC Highlights

Exploring the responsiveness of bioenergy crop yields to rotation and fertilization

Modifying a single gene to improve ethanol production from poplar trees

Collecting useful chemicals individually to increase the value of biomass processing

Optimizing production of terpene precursors for next-generation biofuels
News & Funding

BER-Funded Scientist Jennifer Pett-Ridge wins 2021 E.O. Lawrence Award
Jun 21, 2022
The Lawrence Award recognizes mid-career U.S. scientists and engineers who have advanced new research and scientific discovery
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JGI 25th Annual Genomics of Energy & Environment Meeting
Jun 20, 2022
DOE JGI convenes this annual gathering of leaders from diverse disciplines to highlight how they are addressing the world’s most pressing energy and environmental challenge
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Two GSP Scientists Selected as Recipients of DOE’s 2022 Early Career Research Program Award
Jun 8, 2022
DOE selected 83 early career scientists to receive $110 million in funding for research.
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BER BSSD Holds Virtual Joint PI Meetings
Mar 1, 2022
2022 GSP and Bioimaging programs come together
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FUNDING: DOE SCGSR Program 2022 Solicitation 1 Cycle
Feb 10, 2022
Applications for DOE's Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program 2022 Solicitation 1 cycle due Wednesday, May 4, 2022, at 5pm ET.
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FUNDING: Genomics-Enabled Plant Biology for Determination of Gene Function
Dec 16, 2021
DOE's Office of Science seeks applications for genomics research in plant biology for gene function determination.
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FUNDING: Systems Biology Enabled Microbiome Research
Dec 15, 2021
DOE Office of Science seeks applications for research into microbial processes and community interactions in natural systems.
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