Genome Center Content

Among the Academies: A Holistic Approach

Jose Antonio Vadi — July 29, 2025 - 8:34am

An invisible ecosystem of checks and balances exists within our bodies. But what happens when disease throws a wrench in these works?

Distinguished Professor Andreas Bäumler is a leader in the study of microbial physiology. He is particularly known for his holistic research on the role of the host’s environment and the microbial composition of an organ, specifically the gut’s microbiota.

Finding Human Brain Genes in Duplicated DNA

Andy Fell — July 21, 2025 - 11:04am

What makes the human brain distinctive? A new study published July 21 in Cell identifies two genes linked to human brain features and provides a road map to discover many more. The research could lead to insights into the functioning and evolution of the human brain, as well as the roots of language disorders and autism.

Plant Biologist Siobhan Brady Named HHMI Investigator

Andy Fell — July 23, 2024 - 12:11pm

Siobhan Brady, a professor in the Department of Plant Biology and Genome Center at the University of California, Davis, has been selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator. The prestigious Investigator program, which Brady describes as “life changing,” will provide her with roughly $9 million in research support over a seven-year term, with the option to renew.

�鶹app�� Genome Center Names New Director

Cody Kitaura — August 29, 2023 - 9:00pm

Blake Meyers, a principal investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and a professor of plant sciences from the University of Missouri - Columbia, has been named the new director and Novozymes Chair in Genomics at the �鶹app�� Genome Center. Meyers, who studies plant RNA biology, bioinformatics and functional genomics, will step into the role on March 1.

Genome Study Shows Recent Spread of Eelgrass

Andy Fell — July 21, 2023 - 10:52am

A study of eelgrass DNA shows that this important coastal plant spread from the Pacific to the Atlantic much later than thought. A lack of genetic diversity could make this key species more vulnerable to climate change.

2 �鶹app�� Faculty Members Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — April 29, 2022 - 1:30pm

Two faculty from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Established in 1780, the academy honors individuals dedicated to its message and goal of examining new ideas, addressing issues of importance to the nation and the world, and advancing the public good.

New Human Reference Genome Opens Unexplored Regions

Andy Fell — March 31, 2022 - 11:05am

A complete sequence of the human genome has finally been published by an international consortium of scientists. The new reference genome fills in gaps left by earlier drafts, which will help researchers better understand genetic variation and how it can sometimes lead to disease.

Genomics by Africans for Africans

Andy Fell — March 15, 2022 - 11:49am

The African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP) has published a position paper in Nature highlighting the goals, priorities, and roadmap of the Africa-led effort to sequence the genomes of 105,000 species of plants, animals, fungi and protists that are endemic to the continent.

How the Transition to Agriculture Affects Populations in the Present Day

Andy Fell — March 09, 2022 - 9:00am

The transition of human societies from hunter-gatherers to farmers and pastoralists is a more nuanced process than generally thought, according to a new study of peoples living in the highlands of southwest Ethiopia. The work was published March 9 in Current Biology.

Gut Bacteria Differences Between Black and White Women Linked to Insulin Sensitivity

Amy M Quinton — January 19, 2022 - 11:00am

A �鶹app�� study finds significant differences in gut bacteria between Black and white women, even after accounting for insulin sensitivity status.