Here, we present the draft genome of Porphyrobacter mercurialis strain Coronado, the proposed type strain for this species. The assembly contains 3,482,341 bp in 10 contigs.

Here, we present the draft genome of Rhizobium rhizogenes strain ATCC 15834. The genome contains 7,070,307 bp in 43 scaffolds. R. rhizogenes, also known as Agrobacterium rhizogenes, is a plant pathogen that causes hairy root disease. This hairy root induction has been used in biotechnology for the generation of transgenic root cultures.

Here, we present the draft genome of Bacillus safensis JPL-MERTA-8-2, a strain found in a spacecraft assembly cleanroom before launch of the Mars Exploration Rovers. The assembly contains 3,671,133 bp in 14 contigs.

Christensenella minuta was first formally described in 2012 as a member of a novel species, genus, and proposed family of Christensenellaceae. C. minuta was later shown in one study to be part of the most heritable taxonomic group in the human gut microbiome and to be enriched in people with low body mass index (BMI). Mouse work demonstrated that injection of cultured C. minuta into germ-free mice prevented the onset of obesity after a fecal transplant to the mice from high BMI individuals. Here we describe the genome sequence of C. minuta DSM 22607. Examination and analysis of the annotation revealed an unusually high number of genes predicted to be involved in carbohydrate metabolism, many of which were multiple homologs of RbsA, RbsB and RbsC, which together make up the Ribose ABC Transport System. These genes may be also involved in quorum sensing which could potentially relate to the importance of C. minuta in the gut microbiome.

The Microbiology of the Built Environment Network (microBEnet) has served as an experiment in online community building. Here we discuss strategies used to launch a new, interdisciplinary scientific field, and their implications.

The "gamification" of science has gained a lot of traction in recent years, and games that convey scientific concepts or themes are increasingly popular. While a number of existing games touch on microbiology, very few consider the beneficial (as opposed to the detrimental) aspects of microbes. We designed a board game called "Gut Check: The Microbiome Game" to fill this gap. The game is meant to be both educational as well as challenging and fun. Here we discuss the development of the game, some of the logistics of game development in this context, and offer suggestions for others thinking of similar projects.

Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Tenacibaculum soleae strain UCD-KL19. The assembly contains 3,012,701 bp in 46 contigs. This strain was isolated from a seagrass leaf (Zostera marina) collected from Bodega Bay, CA, as a part of an undergraduate student research project on isolating bacteria from seagrass.

Here, we present the draft genome of Gordonia sp. strain UCD-TK1. The assembly contains 5,470,576 bp in 98 contigs. This strain was isolated from a disinfected ambulatory surgery center.

Here we present the draft genome of Arthrobacter sp. strain UCD-GKA. The assembly contains 4,930,274 bp in 33 contigs. This strain was isolated from the handle of a weight bar in the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center.

Here, we present the draft genome sequences for five bacterial strains. These strains were all isolated from seagrass (Zostera marina) collected from Bodega Bay, CA, as a part of an undergraduate research project focused on seagrass-associated microbes.