Genomic Science Program
U.S. Department of Energy | Office of Science | Biological and Environmental Research Program

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.

News & Funding

DOE Announces $264M Energy Earthshots™

Sep 29, 2023

11 New National Lab-Led Energy Earthshot Research Centers and 18 University Projects Will Address Tough Scientific Challenges to Help Achieve Net-Zero Carbon by 2050, Solve Climate Crisis

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Dorothy Koch Joins Biological and Environmental Research as Associate Director

Sep 21, 2023

Dr. Koch comes to BER from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where she has been serving as the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Weather Program Office Director.

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DOE Announces $73 Million for Basic Research to Accelerate the Transition from Discovery to Commercialization

Sep 11, 2023

Research to Accelerate Innovations in Emerging Technologies will focus on key technology areas to address critical gaps early in the innovation cycle.

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DOE Announces $112.4 Million for Research to Support National Biopreparedness and Response

Sep 7, 2023

BRaVE initiative projects will utilize unique capabilities and facilities of the national laboratories to address future biological crises.

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DOE Announces $70 Million in Research Opportunities for Underrepresented Groups

Aug 21, 2023

The RENEW initiative will support 40 minority-serving institutions to build a diverse STEM workforce.

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FUNDING: DOE SCGSR Program 2023 Solicitation 2 Cycle

Aug 16, 2023

Applications for DOE's Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program 2023 Solicitation 2 cycle due Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at 5pm ET.

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Two BER Scientists Selected as Recipients of DOE’s 2023 Early Career Research Program Award

Aug 8, 2023

DOE selected 93 early career scientists to receive $135 million in funding for research.

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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.

Select BRC Highlights

First demonstration of targeted gene editing in the bioenergy grass Miscanthus

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Engineered auxotrophic Agrobacterium strains improve plant transformation

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Strong climate mitigation potential of switchgrass grown on marginal lands

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Yeast engineered to produce triacetic acid lactone from sorghum

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Our Numbers

$277M
Budget FY21
6061
Publications 2000-2023
43,466
Citations 2017-2021
658K
Gigabases sequenced FY22
3000+
Researchers supported