News

Mar 2022 28

New software to help discover valuable compounds

As a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of BTI faculty member Frank Schroeder, Max Helf saw his labmates continually struggle when they were analyzing data. So, he decided to do something about it and developed a free, open-source app called Metaboseek,...

head shot of Max Helf in a blue button-up shirt.

Feb 2022 11

Professor Dan Klessig retires after 48 years of research

After 48 years of performing molecular biology research, including 22 years at Boyce Thompson Institute, Professor Dan Klessig retired on December 31. The former BTI President will remain associated with the Institute as an Emeritus Professor. A self-described...

Dec 2021 22

Genetic discoveries could improve spinach’s disease resistance and palatability

Most of us are familiar with “spinach teeth,” the harmless but gritty-chalky mouthfeel caused by the vegetable. A team of researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and six Chinese universities has identified genes in spinach that regulate its concentration of...

A closeup of leafy spinach plants in a greenhouse.

Nov 2021 3

Secrets of quillwort photosynthesis could boost crop efficiency

The humble quillworts are an ancient group of about 250 small, aquatic plants that have largely been ignored by modern botanists. A group of researchers, led by Boyce Thompson Institute’s Fay-Wei Li, have sequenced the first quillwort genome and uncovered some...

An extreme closeup of a quillwort specimen out of the water. It has many spiky leaves and white roots emerging from the base of the plant.

Oct 2021 11

Newly discovered gene could help improve tomato flavor and shelf-life

Buying tomatoes and other fruits in the grocery store is always a gamble because, however good they look, they are often firm but lack flavor. A group of plant scientists has discovered a gene that could increase the odds that future store-bought tomatoes stay firm...

Jim Giovannoni, in a purple shirt, examines some tomatoes still on the vine in a greenhouse.

Sep 2021 24

Alumni Reunion Zooms

For many of us, the pandemic has shined an ever-brighter light on the importance of connection and mutual support. Two members of the BTI community who shared that insight, faculty emeritus Dr. Alan Renwick and Aly Evans of the development team, partnered to...

Sep 2021 17

David Stern to Step Down as BTI President

After leading the Boyce Thompson Institute for 17 years, David Stern has decided to step down as president. He will retain the role during the search for his successor, and plans to lead the Stern lab well into the future. A remarkable example of ascending through...

Closeup of David Stern in a field on his farm. He is smiling and wearing a black leather jacket. There are trees far off in the background, and the sky is cloudy.

Sep 2021 13

NSF Launches $25 Million Digital Biology Center

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $25 million over five years to four participating institutions to create the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS), which will develop new methods for observing, recording and modulating plant...

A closeup photo of Joyce Van Eck in a greenhouse, surrounded by groundcherry plants. She is smiling, wearing a red shirt, black sweater, and a purple and white necklace. The plants are laden with fruit.

Sep 2021 10

Alliance for Science Receives Grant for Gene Editing Communications

The Alliance for Science, a global communications initiative led by BTI Professor Sarah Evanega, received a $189,794 grant from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) to better inform the public about how research using gene editing tools can...

A close-up picture of Sarah Evanega wearing a light brown suit jacket,speaking into a microphone.

Aug 2021 23

Alex Ogbonna Wins Borlaug Scholar Award from NAPB

Boyce Thompson Institute is proud to congratulate Alex Ogbonna for receiving a 2021 Borlaug Scholar Award from the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB). Ogbonna is a Cornell University graduate student in Lukas Mueller’s lab at BTI, where he works to...

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