News

Finding and catching salamanders might look like something Eastern Mennonite University senior Cerrie Mendoza would have done as a science-loving child, but in reality, amphibian hide-and-seek was just one aspect of her internship this summer. Mendoza, a biology major from El Paso, Texas, is taking part in a collaboration pilot project between the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), the U. S.

The Global Genome Initiative for Gardens (GGI-Gardens) is organizing a satellite meeting during the XIX International Botanical Congress , entitled Garden Genomics Tissue Banking Workshop, hosted by the Global Genome Initiative for Gardens on Wednesday 26 July 2017 from 9:00–12:00 at Fairy Lake Botanical Garden in Shenzhen, China.

Katie Ahlfeld opened a steel tank on a recent Tuesday to reveal one of the Smithsonian Institution's prize possessions: a 26-foot giant squid from the Gulf of Mexico.

"It feels like a wet rubber band," the museum specialist said, offering up a tentacle and pointing out the sharp-toothed suckers that grip prey.

The squid arrived at the museum in 2009, frozen and stuffed into a 5-gallon bucket. Federal scientists had pulled it up in a trawl net, proof that the elusive species lives deep in Gulf waters.

Local genome-quality tissue collection and preservation in the greater metropolitan Washington, D.C. area

Dikow RB, Frandsen PB, Turcatel M, Dikow T. (2017) Genomic and transcriptomic resources for assassin flies including the complete genome sequence of Proctacanthus coquilletti (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae) and 16 representative transcriptomes. PeerJ 5:e2951 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2951

The Awards Program sponsored by the Global Genome Initiative provides funding for projects that support the discoverability of new genetic collections through the Global Genome Biodiversity Network’s Data Portal (http://www.ggbn.org/). The submission deadline for proposals this year is 1 May 2017. The Proposal Review Committee will consider requests for up to $30,000 with clearly articulated budget justifications.

The Global Genome Biodiversity Network Workshop on Linking DNA and Tissue Collections in North America
Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.
April 11-13, 2017

The Global Genome Initiative (GGI) Rolling Awards Program provides funding to Smithsonian-affiliated researchers for projects that support GGI goals of expeditionary research and development of genomic biodiversity science at the SI. Requests up to $30,000 with clear budget justifications will be considered. Smaller proposals to enhance field work and/or acquire genomic collections are especially encouraged. Proposals with a DNA barcoding component may be jointly considered and/or funded by the SI Barcode Network.

How Ants Helped Me Feel Comfortable in the Genomics Lab - a blogpost by Sal, 2016 YES! GGI Intern

How I Learned to Barcode Lizards During My Internship  - a blogpost by Camile, 2016 YES! GGI Intern