Today we honor the brave men and women, including our friends and colleagues at JCVI, who have served our country with courage and sacrifice. Thank you for your service.

When I was in graduate school my life and carreer were completely transformed by a seminar I attended at Stanford by Dr. Hamilton Smith. In the talk he discussed how TIGR was sequencing whole genomes of organisms. Here is a scan of P1 of my notes. 1/n

@jcv.bsky.social penned an obituary for Ham Smith in @nature.com. Since the early 90s, Ham has been a key figure at the Institute for his invaluable contributions and mentorship. "Ham was the best colleague that one could ever have in science and a great friend." www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Candida auris (now classified as Candidozyma auris) is a rapidly emerging human pathogen and notoriously difficult to treat due to its high rate of resistance to anti-fungal drugs. Read about patient care implications & current strategies by Ahnika Kline & Sinem Beyhan. issuu.com/mamsden/docs...

It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Hamilton O. Smith, M.D., a scientific giant, compassionate mentor, and beloved by all who had the honor of knowing him. Ham was humble, gentle, and brilliant. 🧪🧬 www.jcvi.org/media-center...

Congratulations to JCVI President Anders Dale for being recognized for the fourth consecutive year by Research.com, earning a spot on their Best Scientist and Neuroscience Leader 2025 lists. Dale has netted over 200k citations over his career. research.com/u/anders-m-d...

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to our fearless founder & CEO, @jcv.bsky.social. Known to never shy away from adventure—be it a scientific pursuit or a personal passion—his constant curiosity is inspiring. Working with Dr. Venter & witnessing his never-ending dedication to advancing science is a gift.

The passing of Clyde A. Hutchison, III, friend, colleague, and giant in the biological sciences. 🧪 www.jcvi.org/media-center...

A team led by JCVI and @scrippsocean.bsky.social have decoded the DNA of a critical algae group found in every ocean. Despite challenges it poses to fishing, tourism, and public health, it plays pivotal role in the ocean food web, climate, and even cloud formation. 🧪🧬 www.jcvi.org/media-center...

JCVI's Anna Capria joined a Rally for Medical Research group from Georgia as they made visits today on Capitol Hill to the offices of Senators @ossoff.senate.gov and @warnock.senate.gov and Representatives @repscottpeters.bsky.social and @mcbath.house.gov.

JCVI was gifted with another incredible group of interns this year who stretched themselves intellectually as they engaged with our faculty mentors. From the wet lab to bioinformatics, each worked to solve real questions through the scientific process.

We are thrilled to announce that the @sciencehistory.org has acquired our incredible History of Microbiology Collection that we have proudly preserved for over 20 years. We couldn’t think of a better organization to pass this important collection to. www.sciencehistory.org/about/press/...

Please suggest the last keynote speaker for the 2nd SynBYSS conference on June 8-11, 2026 in Barcelona Until now, the confirmed speakers are Keynote speakers: Víctor de Lorenzo, Sarah O'Connor, Pam Silver, Ian Paulsen, Wilfried Weber, Mark Isalan, Chase Beisel @vdlorenzo.bsky.social @jcvi.org 1/n

Happy Birthday to Dr. Hamilton Smith or Ham as most of us know him by. To a truly wonderful colleague and friend, we hope you have a wonderful day.

Reading the blueprint of life: Thirty years ago, new thinking and computational advances enabled DNA sequencing firsts, including the human genome 🧪🧬 www.jcvi.org/blog/reading...

Congratulations to JCVI Vice Chairman, Rudy Ruggles, who was recently honored by Sigma Xi with the 2025 Evan Ferguson Award “for exceptional dedication to advancing the Society’s mission through decades of service and leadership.

Our paper on #biosafety & #planetary protection from #space #exploration is out! @universitypress.cambridge.org Thank Rocco Mancinelli, Becky Mackelprang, Nate Hoxie & Kate Adamala for the wonderful collaboration! @ebrc.org @kateadamala.bsky.social @jcvi.org www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

30 years ago scientists from JCVI, then The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), mapped the first complete genome sequence of a free-living organism, Haemophilus influenzae Rd.

ICYMI Last week's webinar, Mirror Biology: Global risks, national security concerns, and practical actions, is now on Youtube. Moderated by @wilmotjames.bsky.social with panelists @bethcameron-dc.bsky.social and Dr. James Smith from @jcvi.org 👀 Watch here ⤵️ youtu.be/iOsvFjfIdlw?...

#SynBYSS seminar with Prof. Tim Bugg at the University of Warwick and Prof. Erin Garza at J. Craig Venter Institute Congrats, Erin! Promoted to an Assistant Professor last week! @jcvi.org The video link is below: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax1a...

Many of you gave me so much encouragement when I posted here earlier about my 10 year long passion project to make a microbial map of the ocean. Pinch me because I can't believe I get to update you that today that research was published in the journal SCIENCE! @science.org

Just published in @science.org: Deep ocean currents don’t just move water—they shape entire microbial ecosystems. Our new study reveals how overturning circulation structures microbial life across the South Pacific. www.jcvi.org/media-center... 🧪

#SynBYSS Thur 10 am USA CT 166th, Jul 10: Prof Chris Barnes at U. College London & Henry Squire at UC Berkeley @ucl.ac.uk @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social 167th, Jul 17: Prof Tim Bugg at U. Warwick & Dr Erin Garza at JCVI @jcvi.org Zoom for the audience: us02web.zoom.us/j/88380504839

Join July's webinar on Mirror Biology. We'll focus on the global health, national security risks & practical steps to safeguard from these engineered lifeforms Moderated by @wilmotjames.bsky.social w/ @bethcameron-dc.bsky.social & Dr James Smith (@jcvi.org) Register ⤵️ brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

@jcv.bsky.social: We are now entering an era where we can sequence diploid genomes for a few hundred dollars and combine them with imaging and other health data to understand human biology and disease in unprecedented detail.

The NLM Hackathon (June 23–24) at CNS Center was a great success! Experts from National Library of Medicine, @jcvi.org and HubMAP met to share and integrate data/code for the Human Reference Atlas humanatlas.io @katyborner.bsky.social

Twenty-five years ago today, a landmark moment in scientific history took place at the White House. Dr. J. Craig Venter, joined by Dr. Francis Collins, stood alongside President Bill Clinton as he announced the successful completion of the first draft of the human genome sequence. #humangenome 🧪🧬

Today, we celebrate a pivotal moment in American history, the day freedom rang for all, marking the liberation of the last enslaved people in the United States. Juneteenth reminds us of the power of understanding our past to build a brighter future.

John Glass, Ph.D., synthetic biology group leader at JCVI, spoke on June 13 at the Paris Conference on Risks from Mirror Life at the Pasteur Institute.

In reflecting on the 25th anniversary of the Human Genome Project, @jcv.bsky.social, Ph.D., offers his thoughts on fully realizing the power of DNA sequencing on improving human health. www.genengnews.com/topics/genom...

Throughout June and into July cities around the world, including Washington DC and San Diego, will host Pride events. They're a vital celebration of acceptance and recognition. We're grateful for the strong communities that JCVI calls home.  Wherever you're celebrating, Happy Pride Month!

#SynBYSS seminar with Prof. Sanjay Vashee at J. Craig Venter Institute & Dr. Benjamin Adler at the University of California, Berkeley @benadler.bsky.social @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social @jcvi.org The video link is below www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPY1...

Coming June 2025! We are excited to launch the NIH Brain Development Cohorts (NBDC) Data Hub. This new data ecosystem will host & facilitate access to data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study & the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study. 1/13

The CIRCLE Symposium at JCVI, held this past week, brought together a dynamic global team to advance recycling waste and circular economy innovations.

Thanks for the kind invitation to give the opening keynote talk! Looking forward to it! @jcvi.org

Heart disease affects women differently than men. Women are 50% more likely to die within a month following a heart attack. Let's raise awareness and support research to understand these differences. #WomensHealthWeek #HeartHealth

51% of the population are women, yet most medical research is based on male data. It's time to change that! Women deserve to be equally represented in clinical trials to ensure treatments are effective for everyone. #WomensHealthWeek #ClinicalTrials

Did you know that women face unique health challenges that are often underrepresented in research? From ovarian cancer to autoimmune diseases, it's crucial to focus on women's health to ensure better outcomes. #WomensHealthWeek #HealthForHer

Thank our Global Center members from 6 countries for visiting J. Craig Venter Institute to discuss global waste issues and National Science Foundation (NSF) & other nations' funding agencies for supporting us to enable international collaboration! @jcvi.org

This week we hosted the BV-BRC Bioinformatics Workshop at our campus in beautiful La Jolla, providing a fantastic opportunity for bioinformatics professionals to dive deep into the latest tools and techniques in analyzing and exploring bacterial & viral pathogen data using the BV-BRC website tools.

We're moving. But not quite yet. We're excited to announce that JCVI’s La Jolla campus will relocate its operations to the waterfront in downtown San Diego at the new IQHQ’s Research and Development District in 2026. www.jcvi.org/media-center...

1/ Big news: The Quantum Biology Institute is partnering with @jcvi.org to explore the multiomics of weak magnetic field responses in microbial model organisms. This collaboration will leverage their genomic expertise and advanced facilities to drive quantum biology forward.

Great meeting all the nation representatives during the Global Forum hosted by the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) and JCVI! @jcvi.org @ebrc.org

JCVI is excited to announce the appointment of leading neuroscientist and AI geneticist Anders Dale, Ph.D. as its new president. Dr. Dale is bringing a team of 22 with him and is part of the ongoing effort to recruit new faculty and expand new programs at JCVI. www.jcvi.org/media-center...

Global Forum starts at J. Craig Venter Institute to discuss engineering biology hosted by JCVI and Engineering Biology Research Consortium @ebrc.org @jcvi.org

JCVI Prof Sanjay Vashee, PhD: "By developing a synthetic genomics-based reverse genetics system for African swine fever virus (ASFV), we are not only advancing our understanding of this virus but also creating tools that can be applied to other emerging viral threats… www.jcvi.org/media-center... 🧪

From 2010 to 2016 (latest data I have ), NIH research contributed to EVERY drug approved by the FDA

Celebrating #WomensHistoryMonth by honoring Rosalind Franklin, a pioneering scientist whose groundbreaking work in X-ray crystallography was a key component in the discovery of the DNA double helix.

JCVI staff in DC and La Jolla joined thousands worldwide at #standupforscience2025 rallies in support of robust public funding for science.

SPEAKER LINEUP FOR STAND UP FOR SCIENCE ☀️ Here's our list of current speakers—and it's still growing! Come tomorrow to hear some amazing speakers talk about science, their experiences, and the future. #standupforscience2025