J. Craig Venter Institute

08/03/2026

Could Antarctica's Blood Falls be preserving remnants of an ancient ocean ecosystem?

Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute and collaborators found molecular evidence of a marine-derived community of microscopic eukaryotes living near Blood Falls, a striking iron-rich outflow emerging from beneath Taylor Glacier. The findings suggest that remnants of ancient seawater ecosystems may still persist beneath the ice today.

Led by Angela Zoumplis and published in Nature Geoscience, the study sheds new light on how life survives in extreme environments and offers clues about Antarctica's environmental history.

LA JOLLA, California—August 3, 2026—Blood Falls has long been one of Antarctica’s strangest landmarks: a red-stained outflow that spills from...

07/23/2026

Childhood leukemia remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat. We're proud to announce that Nan Zhu, Ph.D. and the team at JCVI have received a two-year, $200,000 Emily Beazley Kures for Kids Fund St. Baldrick’s Research Grant (St. Baldrick's Foundation) to advance a promising new approach to treating MLL-rearranged leukemias in children. The research aims to both directly attack leukemia cells and strengthen the body's immune response against the disease, bringing new hope for better outcomes for young patients.

LA JOLLA, California—July 23, 2026—The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) today announced it has received a two-year, $200,000 Emily Beazley Kures...

07/20/2026

In the final legs of their Tonga expedition, Dr. Garza and the crew partnered with local communities to better understand the sources of marine plastic pollution affecting their islands. At the conclusion of the voyage one thing was very clear; despite plastic pollution being a global challenge, solutions need to be localized.

https://www.jcvi.org/blog/tracking-plastic-pollution-source-sea-final-legs-our-togan-expedition

06/23/2026

All aboard the Wind Swift as Dr. Garza and the Exxpedition crew kicked things off on Tongatapu—Tonga’s main Island. The expedition’s first stop combined field surveys, scientific outreach, and analytical sampling to establish a baseline understanding of plastic pollution in Tonga before continuing its broader investigation into how plastic waste moves from land to sea.

https://www.jcvi.org/blog/tracking-plastic-pollution-source-sea-kicking-expedition-tongatapu

06/23/2026

Tiny. Abundant. Essential.

A single-celled ocean alga is helping scientists understand how life survives in low-light, iron-poor waters—conditions that cover vast regions of global oceans.

New research from JCVI and Scripps Institution of Oceanography shows how this organism uses streamlined, resource-efficient biology to thrive where others cannot—shaping ocean ecosystems and global biogeochemical cycles.

https://www.jcvi.org/media-center/tiny-abundant-ocean-alga-shows-how-life-thrives-where-sunlight-and-iron-are-scarce

05/08/2026

New study from JCVI's Tae Seok Moon: DNA carrying antibiotic-resistance genes can remain functional after common decontamination steps like bleach & autoclaving. Findings can help refine biosafety guidance and disposal practices.

https://www.jcvi.org/media-center/study-finds-dna-carrying-antibiotic-resistance-genes-can-remain-functional-after

05/08/2026

JCVI scientist Erin Garza is joining the Global All-Women Sailing Expedition to study how plastic pollution moves from land to sea in Tonga. During Leg 3, she will lead sampling in coastal waters, on shore, and from the air to support research on microplastics, pollution sources, and environmental impact.

https://www.jcvi.org/blog/tracking-plastic-pollution-source-sea-tongatapu-vavau

04/30/2026

It is with great sadness that we announce J. Craig Venter has died. His leadership and vision reshaped genomics and helped ignite synthetic biology. We will honor his legacy by continuing the mission he built—advancing genomic science, championing the public investments that make discovery possible, and partnering broadly to turn knowledge into impact.

La Jolla, California—April 29, 2026—The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) announced that J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., the Institute’s founder, board...

04/28/2026

Registration is closing soon for our upcoming BV-BRC workshop at Argonne National Laboratory!

If you’re planning to join us, now is the time to complete your visitor registration to ensure access to the site. This is a required step for all attendees.

Register at: https://apps.anl.gov/registration/visitors

Use [email protected] as the sponsor email (your registration will be processed through Argonne)

04/28/2026

We're excited to announce that JCVI Assistant Professor Erin Garza, Ph.D. will be taking part of a ten leg expedition that will be the "first global study mapping ocean plastic pollution back to its sources on land." Dr. Garza will be on the third leg that plans to combine a mix of short sails and land-based science while island-hopping from the South to the North of Tonga. Follow the eXXpedition page for more detailed information.