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

Foundational GSP

  • Illustration of molecules crossing a cellular membrane.

    Photosynthetic Electron Transport Chain

    An overview of steps involved in using light energy to produce carbohydrates or hydrogen: (1) light absorption by photosystem II initiates the photosynthetic pathway; (2) electron transport through the cytochrome complex generates a πroton gradient; (3) light absorption by photosystem I excites electrons and facilitates electron transfer to an electron acceptor outside the thylakoid membrane; (4) under certain conditions, ferredoxin can carry electrons to hydrogenase; and (5) dissipation of proton gradient is used to synthesize adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

  • Gene function goes from the genome to ecosystem level.

    Gene Function Across Multiple Scales

    Understanding gene function across multiple levels of biological organization is a key objective of the Department of Energy’s Genomic Science program.

  • Examples of DNA for genomics, RNA for transcriptomics, proteins for proteomics, and metabolites for metabolomics.

    Categories of Global Omics

  • Venn diagram of biosystems design, bioenergy research, and environmental microbiome research.

    Biological Systems Science Division Portfolio

    Biological Systems Science Division’s three primary research areas in genomic sciences—Bioenergy Research, Biosystems Design, and Environmental Microbiome Research—are supported by a suite of user facilities and enabling capabilities in computational biology and biomolecular characterization and imaging science.

  • Enzyme Enoyl-CoA Carboxylase

    Artist interpretation of the enzyme enoyl-CoA carboxylase/reductase.

  • Multiple Mechanisms Shape BSSD’s Strategy

    Biological Systems Science Division relies on stakeholders and the research community to inform its vision, with these inputs all feeding back into each other in a dynamic interplay that helps to prioritize the research portfolio.

  • As described in caption.

    JGI Research and DNA Sequencer

    A researcher loads a DNA sequencer at the Joint Genome Institute.