J. Craig Venter Institute

Two days honoring the life and science of J. Craig Venter, Ph.D. Oct 13–14 · San Diego · The US Grant Hotel Nearly 30 speakers on the race to sequence the human genome, the first synthetic cell, xenotransplantation, and the Sorcerer II expedition. Agenda ↓ www.jcvi.org/events/j-cra... 🧪🧬

Speakers include @geochurch.bsky.social, Gene Myers, Susan Taylor, @phylogenomics.bsky.social, Stephen W. Scherer, Pam Silver and Vanessa Hayes. Chaired by Mark Adams and Jack Gilbert.

Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute and collaborators found molecular evidence of a marine-derived community of microscopic eukaryotes living near Blood Falls, a striking iron-rich outflow emerging from beneath Taylor Glacier.

The findings suggest that remnants of ancient seawater ecosystems may still persist beneath the ice today. Published in @natgeosci.nature.com, the study sheds new light on how life survives in extreme environments & offers clues about Antarctica's environmental history. www.jcvi.org/media-center...

JCVI has been awarded a $200,000 Emily Beazley Kures for Kids Fund St. Baldrick’s Research Grant to support Nan Zhu, Ph.D.'s research into a novel dual-action therapy for MLL-rearranged childhood leukemias—

In the final legs of their Tonga expedition, Dr. Garza and the eXXpedition crew partnered with local communities to better understand the sources of marine plastic pollution affecting their islands.

All aboard the Wind Shift as Dr. Garza and the Exxpedition crew kicked things off on Tongatapu—Tonga’s main Island. www.jcvi.org/blog/trackin...

Tiny. Abundant. Essential. A single-celled ocean alga is helping scientists understand how life survives in low-light, iron-poor waters—conditions that cover vast regions of global oceans. www.jcvi.org/media-center...

It is with great sadness that we announce J. Craig Venter has died. 🧪🧬 www.jcvi.org/media-center...

Registration is closing soon for our upcoming BV-BRC workshop at Argonne National Laboratory! 🧪 If you’re planning to join us, now is the time to complete your visitor registration to ensure access to the site. This is a required step for all attendees.

Bad breath isn't just awkward. It can be a biological signal. New research from JCVI, in collaboration with the Bauru School of Dentistry at @uspoficial.bsky.social (FOB/USP), takes a closer look at halitosis (bad breath) and its real impact on patients’ lives. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

The international team is led by JCVI's Marcelo Freire and FOB/USP's Paulo Sérgio da Silva Santos, with Mailon Cury Carneiro, a former visiting PhD student in Freire's lab and now a visiting scientist affiliated with the institute.

Bad breath isn't just awkward. It can be a biological signal. New research from JCVI, in collaboration with the Bauru School of Dentistry at @uspoficial.bsky.social (FOB/USP), takes a closer look at halitosis (bad breath) and its real impact on patients’ lives. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

Using a cysteine challenge test, the team revealed that most participants harbored latent halitosis undetectable under standard conditions and even individuals without clinically confirmed bad breath reported significant emotional distress.

Bad breath isn't just awkward. It can be a biological signal. New research from JCVI, in collaboration with the Bauru School of Dentistry at @uspoficial.bsky.social (FOB/USP), takes a closer look at halitosis (bad breath) and its real impact on patients’ lives. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

Last May we announced we were moving to new west coast headquarters at IQHQ's state-of-the-art Research and Development District (RaDD) in downtown San Diego. Construction has been rapidly proceeding and we are counting down the months until we move into our fabulous new space this summer!

The campus has also received a LEED Gold Certification, recognizing its energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, and lower carbon emissions.

Last May we announced we were moving to new west coast headquarters at IQHQ's state-of-the-art Research and Development District (RaDD) in downtown San Diego. Construction has been rapidly proceeding and we are counting down the months until we move into our fabulous new space this summer!

JCVI Assistant Professor, Erin Garza, PhD is currently aboard R/V Sally Ride off the coast of California as part of a larger expedition to study the region's California Current, which is an important upwelling system and one of the most productive ocean areas in the world. 🧪

Dr. Garza will be focused on the microbiome of these particles and testing their potential for plastic degradation.

JCVI Assistant Professor, Erin Garza, PhD is currently aboard R/V Sally Ride off the coast of California as part of a larger expedition to study the region's California Current, which is an important upwelling system and one of the most productive ocean areas in the world. 🧪

Studying these systems helps us better understand how upwellings support marine food webs and contribute to nutrient cycling. These areas are also vulnerable to climate change and need to be regularly monitored.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign have achieved the first full 4D simulation of a living cell’s complete life cycle—growth, metabolism, and division—using the JCVI minimal cell. www.jcvi.org/media-center...

Our team contributed key experimental data, including engineered mutants, growth rates, and phenotypic measurements that helped ground the model in biological reality.

Last Thursday, @jcv.bsky.social joined @rommieamaro.bsky.social and Dr. Peter Cowhey at #TheNAT in San Diego to talk about “Why Does Science Matter?”.

Following our recent @natcomms.nature.com study on microbial consortia that upcycle mixed plastics, we’ve published a new paper supporting this broad vision.

Led by JCVI's @taeseokmoon.bsky.social, the paper highlights how engineered microbes could reshape plastic recycling and accelerate a circular bioeconomy. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...