Appendix D
Examples of Research in Microbial Genomics Supported by Federal Agencies Other Than the Department of Energy
Agencies |
Microbial Genomics Program |
Department of Defense (DOD), jointly with National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Wellcome Trust and Burroughs Wellcome Fund |
Sequencing of entire genome of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum |
DOD in collaboration with Department of Energy (DOE) and NIH |
Sequencing of entire genome of Bacillus anthracis |
Department of the Interior (DOI) |
Microbial research in natural resources, for instance, to identify microorganisms to control invasive species or to treat municipal sludge |
Agencies |
Microbial Genomics Program |
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Research on harmful and beneficial microorganisms found in environment, including microorganisms that are harmful to humans (mold and biofilms in water systems) or are involved in cleaning up environment (toxins removed from wetlands, microorganisms that can remove chlorinated solvents and other organics, or microorganisms that can sequester heavy metals, such as lead) |
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) |
Research and surveillance on microbial pathogens, research to develop rapid assessment technologies for pathogens and treatment strategies, and work on antibiotic resistance |
National Aeronoutics and Space Administration (NASA) |
Research on functional genomics of organisms in extreme environments to understand nature of life and to ensure human health during space travel |
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) |
Genomics research (bioinformatics, managing data banks, and structural genomics), research in such applied fields as biological production of chemical products that are more economical and environmentally friendly, and protein engineering |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
Microbial research that addresses human health issues—disease-causing microorganisms, Human Genome Project, yeast research, and computational biology to support genome-enabled science |
Agencies |
Microbial Genomics Program |
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |
Microbial research in support of sustaining healthy coasts and sustainable fisheries and work on microbial pathogens (algal blooms, parasites, and bacteria) |
National Science Foundation (NSF) |
Microbial research through a number of foundationwide initiatives and through unsolicited proposals and research on computational biology and bioinformatics |
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) |
Microbial genomics that is relevant to mission of addressing regional and national problems and opportunities relevant to agriculture, food, forestry, and environment; and efforts to sequence animal and plant pathogens |