Boyce Thompson Center Update: BTI Exhibit and Fall Opening
The transformation of the former Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) building at 1086 N. Broadway in Yonkers, NY is well under way.
How BTI Celebrates Earth Day
An important part of BTI’s mission is to advance scientific knowledge to protect the environment. Here are a few of the current projects at BTI that work to achieve that mission.
Klessig’s Research Featured by Parkinson’s Disease Foundation
The Spring 2016 issue of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation newsletter featured recent work by Dan Klessig. The newsletter highlighted his recent PLOS ONE paper on salicylic acid and human GAPDH.
BTI Newsletter – Labnotes
The latest issue of BTI Labnotes is here. Don’t miss an issue. Sign up for our monthly newsletter today.
Summer Teacher Institute Receives Record Number of Applicants
The Education and Outreach group faces the tough task of selecting a group of motivated teachers that serve diverse populations of students.
BTI Hosts Visit from My Brother’s Keeper Group
The group from Team I.M.P.A.C.T. of Rochester, NY, exposed young men to potential careers in the plant sciences.
BTI Exhibit Planned for Renovated Yonkers Building
Visitors to the soon-to-be reopened Boyce Thompson Center in Yonkers, New York, will receive a dose of BTI history.
Jonathan Gomes Selman Recognized as Distinguished Youth
Tompkins County has awarded Gomes Selman, a 2015 high school intern at BTI, its Distinguished Youth award for his numerous academic and volunteer commitments.
Announcing Our Name Shortening
Boyce Thompson Institute is proud to announce that it is expanding its brand, while shortening its name.
BTI Faculty Listed in World’s “Most Influential Scientific Minds”
Giovannoni and Kochian both ranked in the top 1 percent of researchers publishing in plant and animal science.
BTI Alum Vijay Joshi Joins AgriLife Research Center
His experience at BTI created a foundation for future work investigating metabolic pathways.
BTI Named One of 2016’s Best Companies to Work for in New York State
BTI has been named one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York State for 2016.
And the Winners Are…
BTI announces the winning proposals submitted to the Triad Foundation’s Plants and Human Health grant program.
Board Chair Laura Philips Makes an Impact at BTI
Laura Philips, the CEO and co-founder of Spheryx Inc., brings her science background, business acumen and enthusiasm to BTI board.
BTI Scientists Flock to Annual Plant and Animal Genome Conference
BTI researchers will present current research on the Sol Genomics Network, using CRISPR to edit genomes, the whitefly genome and others.
Favorite Discoveries from 2015
2015 was an exciting year for BTI. Here are just a few of our scientific discoveries from the past year.
Position Opening: VP, Development and Communications
BTI, an independent research institute on the Cornell University campus, invites applications for the position of Vice President, Development and Communications.
Imagine a Summer of Scientific Discovery at BTI!
The Boyce Thompson Institute is now accepting applications for summer internships in Plant Genome Research and Bioinformatics!
BTI Scientists Envision the “Future of Food”
What will your dinner plate look like in 2050? With discoveries from the Boyce Thompson Institute, future crops may have more nutrients and greater resistance to insects, drought and disease.
GOBii Workshop Seeks Solutions to Big Data Problem
The GOBII project gathered researchers from breeding centers around the world to make a plan to develop the architecture for a genomics database for five staple crops.
Why Teachers Spend Their Vacation Days at BTI
Ongoing relationships with teachers enable Education and Outreach to host valuable professional development workshops on plant and insect science for dedicated teachers.
BTI Receives Grant to Support Development of Cold-Tolerant Corn
Researchers in the Stern laboratory will investigate potential benefits of “high-Rubisco” corn plants, under a new USDA-funded project.
Burke Brings Political Perspective to BTI Board
“Plant science is a great topic because people are much more aware of the effects of climate change and the challenges of food and energy production right now,” says Burke.
Better Biofuels: Harrison Collaborates on Sorghum Project
Maria Harrison will participate in a $13.5 million, multi-institution systems biology project with Daniel Schachtman of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to develop sorghum that is more drought resistant and uses nitrogen more efficiently.
Van Eck Gives Insight into Genetic Engineering to Cornell Students
Students in Cornell University’s course, The GMO Debate: Science and Society, visited a genetic engineering laboratory at Boyce Thompson Institute, courtesy of Assistant Professor Joyce Van Eck and postdoctoral researcher Alex Amaro, Stern Lab.
Hartz Plans to Keep BTI and Ithaca Sustainable
Hartz serves on the BTI Board of Directors where he advises and oversees the financial and administrative aspects of BTI. He also acts informally as an Ithaca representative, maintaining the strong connection between BTI and the local community.
Cairo Archer Wants to Level the Growing Field
“There is such a disconnect between what the average person knows about plant science and what we do in the lab here…I think it’s really important to be able to talk to anyone about what I do in a way that they understand.”
New Time for Monday Morning Seminars
The Fall Monday Morning Seminar series began Monday, August 31 at 9:30 AM. Featuring two talks from Armando Bravo from the Harrison Lab and BTI Science Writer, Patricia Waldron.
5 Questions with Pamela Ronald
Pamela Ronald, a rice geneticist at the University of California, Davis, and a member of the Boyce Thompson Institute Scientific Advisory Board, “I support genetic tools and farming practices that enhance sustainable agriculture.”
Jonathan Gomes Selman Explores the Power of Computer Science
Gomes Selman set out to create a computer program to improve the efficiency of a genome editing technique called CRISPR/Cas9.. “I’ve grown to really enjoy coding and algorithm design.”
Student Symposium Caps Off 2015 Summer Intern Program
“My experience was really valuable…It confirmed the fact that I want to do science…science doesn’t work a lot of the time…it’s having the motivation and determination to tackle problems that you’re always going to come across.” Juan G
Plant Science Research Network Launches
To promote innovative research and collaboration, the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and the American Society of Plant Biologists are pleased to announce the formation of the Plant Science Research Network.
Teachers Become Students at BTI’s Curriculum Development Projects
Fourteen teachers arrived at BTI from schools as close as Ithaca and as far as Anaheim, Calif. to attend the BTI Plant Biology Curriculum Development Projects (CDP) Teacher Institute July 13-17, 2015
Teachers Share Strategies for Inspiring Tomorrow’s STEM Researchers
Science teachers planted switchgrass seeds, sampled algae-glycerin soap, and participated in roleplaying activities at the Bioenergy and Bioproducts Education Program’s National STEM conference last week in Horseheads, N.Y.
Dilworth Becomes First VP for Gender Equality at OIST
In her new position, Dilworth aims to increase the representation and advancement of women at all levels in the university and to create a work environment free of gender-based biases.
From Haybales to Biotech and Back
Summer intern Tawni Middleton grew up on a hay farm in Colorado and plans to make her way back to the fields, by way of a career in plant biotechnology.
Plant Breeding Initiative Kicks Off with New Space at BTI
BTI officially unveils new state-of-the art facility for bioinformatics project.
BTI Welcomes New Teaching Lab Coordinator
Becky Sims will coordinate the teacher training institutes, develop and ship plant science experiment kits to classrooms nationwide and provide support for the Tompkins Cortland Community College biology courses taught at BTI.
Groundbreaking News: Former Home of BTI to Undergo Renovation
Professor Emeritus Alan Renwick attended the groundbreaking ceremony and spoke with the developer about the original BTI building’s history in Yonkers.
The Perks of Being a Mentor
Summer internships at BTI let students try on the life of a scientist for a few months, while attending a variety of talks, trainings and social events. But what’s in it for the mentors, who painstakingly train them?
Get to Know the New Members of BTI’s Board of Directors
BTI welcomed three new Board members in May 2015; John W. Townsend, Alan Collmer, and Susan Brown.
Felix Fernandez-Penny Stays True to His Roots
Some interns, like Cornell University first-year student Felix Fernandez-Penny, enjoy their time at BTI so much that they keep showing up at the laboratory, long after the summer ends.
BTI Welcomes New Crop of Summer Interns
BTI welcomes 20 college-level interns for 10 weeks of research in Plant Genome Research Program, the Bioinformatics Program or the Bioenergy Education Program.
BTI Hosts Flash Science! Speaking Competition
BTI Professor Emeritus Robert Kohut initiates competition at BTI to give early-career scientists an opportunity to communicate with the general public and practice their “elevator speech.”
Planting a Passion for Research
Marshall Tyler nominated Maria Harrison for the 2015 Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award.
18.5 Million Grant Will Help Bring Genomic Technology to Small Farmers
BTI Professor Lukas Mueller will participate in an international collaboration to expedite crop breeding for five worldwide staple crops—wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and chickpea.
Stern Visits Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Chandler Gilbert Community College
BTI President and CEO David Stern visited Arizona April 14-16 to attend the Boyce Thompson Arboretum board meeting and to speak about algae-derived bioproducts and his own algal biofuel research, at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
Maria Harrison Wins ASPB’s Dennis R. Hoagland Award
Professor Maria Harrison is the 2015 winner of the Dennis R. Hoagland Award from the American Society of Plant Biologists, given every three years, for her outstanding work on plant mineral nutrition.
President Stern Promotes Funding for Plant Research in DC
BTI President David Stern traveled to Washington D.C. last week to advocate for increased federal support for plant research for the 2016 fiscal year; Unleashing a Decade of Innovation in Plant Science.
Liz Brauer Wins Barbara McClintock Award
Liz Brauer, a graduate researcher in the laboratory of Assistant Professor Sorina Popescu and a student in the plant pathology and plant-microbe biology section at Cornell University, received the 2015 Barbara McClintock Award.