Boyce Thompson Inst

This week, we were proud to welcome the BTI Board of Directors for an engaging and productive visit focused on the future of the Institute. Discussions around BTI’s Strategic Plan highlighted the strong community, collaboration, and leadership driving our mission forward. We’re also excited to congratulate Dr. Andrew Nelson on his unanimous approval as BTI’s new Vice President of Research! Thank you to everyone who helped make the visit such a success — and to our Board members, faculty, and staff whose dedication continues to drive BTI forward through innovation, collaboration, and discovery.

BTI PhD candidate Elizabeth "Lizzie" Trost is digging into the powerful partnership between plants and mycorrhizal fungi. With support from the Triad Foundation, Lizzie is exploring the molecular biology behind this underground teamwork and helping pave the way for stronger, more resilient crops in the future. Watch to learn how tiny fungi could help grow big solutions for agriculture.

Plants and fungi have been cooperating underground for hundreds of millions of years. Plants provide lipids; fungi supply phosphorus in return. But the science of how it works – at the cellular level – has remained one of the great unanswered questions in plant biology. That's the question at the center of Dr. Natalie Hoffmann's research, and it's what earned her the inaugural Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship at BTI. Working in Dr. Maria Harrison's lab, she's investigating how plants allow beneficial fungi to enter their cell walls. The answers could point toward new ways to support crop growth and food security. The fellowship honors the legacy of Dr. Jane Silverthorne, a celebrated plant biologist and BTI Board member who championed curiosity-driven science throughout her career. Full story: cstu.io/b02456

Ever wonder what makes watermelon so sweet and vibrantly red? It's genetics – shaped over millions of years and refined through centuries of human breeding. But this same process also stripped away traits that make watermelons more resilient against disease and environmental stress. BTI scientist Dr. Zhangjun Fei and an international team just published a new resource to help change that: the watermelon super-pangenome, integrating 138 genomes from all seven wild and cultivated watermelon species. Published in Nature Genetics, the work identifies specific genetic variants linked to fruit sweetness, flesh color, and pathogen resistance – some of which couldn't have been detected with any previous method. The team also built predictive breeding models from their findings. The application is faster, more targeted development of watermelons that are tough enough to handle disease pressure and good enough to keep earning a spot at the table. Read the full story here: btiscience.org/super-powered-…

BTI has been awarded a USDA grant to expand plant biotechnology education for K–12 students across New York. Through hands-on learning—including growing and studying the Purple Tomato™—this initiative will connect students with real-world science and meaningful community engagement. Cultivating curiosity today to grow the innovators of tomorrow. btiscience.org/boyce-thompson…

This project explores how plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi work together in a mutually beneficial partnership that helps more than 70% of flowering plants absorb nutrients from the soil. In this relationship, both partners benefit: the fungi help plants access nutrients like phosphate, and in return, the fungi receive essential fatty acids that they cannot produce on their own. Building on recent gene expression data, the research team will combine genetic and metabolomic tools to study how specific plant-made lipids help regulate this symbiosis. The ultimate goal is to better understand and potentially enhance this partnership so plants can take up more phosphate through their fungal partners, improving nutrient acquisition in a sustainable way. We are deeply grateful to the Triad Foundation for their continued support of BTI and for helping make research like this possible.

Plant-derived cardiac glycosides, which inhibit a key cellular enzyme called the sodium-potassium pump (Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase), have been used for centuries in both traditional and modern medicine as a treatment for heart disease. Partially blocking Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase activity leads to a slower and stronger heartbeat. However, the endogenous molecules that regulate this essential human enzyme remain unknown. This project seeks to identify regulators of Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase in mammalian tissues using enzyme activity assays and comparative metabolomics. Discovering such molecules will answer long-standing questions about how Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase is controlled in the human body, and could also guide new treatments for congestive heart failure and other metabolic diseases.

Ozone (O₃) protects life high in the atmosphere, but at ground level it becomes a pollutant that can reduce photosynthesis and weaken plant stress responses. Ground-level ozone is also rising in many areas due to higher temperatures and reduced soil moisture linked to climate change. This study examines how ozone has affected vegetation across 244 units of the U.S. National Park System. By comparing current five-year monitoring data with a similar assessment from 20 years ago, Dr. Kohut will assess how changing air quality standards and climate conditions have influenced risks to native plant species in national parks. This project also marks the culmination of a century of air pollution research at BTI and the conclusion of its environmental biology program. We are grateful to the Triad Foundation for their continued support of BTI and for making research like this possible!

#EarthDay sprouted in 1970, growing into a nationwide call to protect our planet. At BTI, we’re rooted in a mission to grow planet-positive agriculture and keep pushing the frontiers of plant and life science—for people and the planet. This Earth Day, let’s cultivate real solutions together for a healthier world. Ready to plant the seeds of change? 🌱 Check out btiscience.org/give to support innovative research at BTI. 🍃 Share our mission to inspire others. 🌿Follow us for the latest updates and breakthroughs in plant science.

A century-old mystery, modern DNA, and a groundbreaking recognition. BTI’s Eric Richards has been named a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow—diving into forgotten experiments to uncover what they can teach us about genetics today. Read how the past is shaping the future: btiscience.org/the-past-infor… #guggfellows2026

Communicating your research well is a vital skill for scientists and has far-reaching impacts for society. This workshop will introduce the audience to the importance of science communication and best practices. REGISTER HERE: cornell.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

New research highlighted by phys.org from BTI President Silvia Restrepo shows how fungal endophytes could help cacao plants better withstand drought. A promising step toward protecting a crop that is vital for chocolate, pharmaceuticals, and more as climate pressures grow. phys.org/news/2026-04-c…

As the weather heats up, so did the competition at BTI’s Annual Chili & Soup Cookoff! 🌶️🔥Huge thanks to everyone who brought the heat with their chili and soup creations—and to all who came out to taste and vote! Congrats to our winners: • Spicy Black Bean Chili – Anne Bennion & Angie Marbello Santrich • Cream of Tomato Soup – Riley Henderson

Despite its economic importance, breeding improved cucumber varieties—plants that resist disease better, produce ideal fruit shapes, or avoid hollow centers—has remained incredibly difficult. BTI scientists created a powerful tool to help. Professor Zhangjun Fei's team developed the most comprehensive cucumber genetic map ever assembled. The breakthrough? When breeders introduce good traits from wild cucumbers, harmful genetic "baggage" often comes along for the ride. Now they have a tool to help identify and remove it. Read more: btiscience.org/explore-bti/ne…

Most of the world's food comes from just a handful of crops. That's efficient—but it's also fragile. Hundreds of nutritious alternatives exist but remain underutilized because they haven't been adapted for modern farming. Take goldenberry: consumed in the Andes for centuries, packed with nutrients, and increasingly popular worldwide. But the plants grow too wild for commercial agriculture. BTI researchers just solved that problem. Using CRISPR, Professor Joyce Van Eck's team engineered compact plants 35% shorter than wild goldenberries. They've already secured USDA clearance and are pursuing FDA approval. The real story? This approach works for other overlooked crops too—passion fruit, groundcherry, and more. Plant science: expanding what we grow and diversifying what we eat. Read more: btiscience.org/explore-bti/ne…

New on the Physalis Project Blog! Why might goldenberry be closer to the mainstream than we think? From its unique sweet-tart flavor to its growing presence in health foods, snacks, and home gardens, goldenberry (Physalis peruviana) is starting to gain real traction in North America. But what’s holding it back—and how can research help unlock its potential? This latest post explores the trends, challenges, and exciting future of this under-the-radar fruit. physalis.btiscience.org/blog/goldenber…

BREAKING: A new genetic map allows full customization of cucumbers 🥒🧬 Shape. Flavor. Texture. Even personality?!

Youth leaders from the New York Youth Institute (@nextnormNYYI) World Food Prize visited BTI on Friday, March 20th, to learn more about the Institute and the groundbreaking plant science research taking place. Students enjoyed a presentation on BTI’s legacy and history, including current research stories and initiatives, and learned more about the growing world of biotechnology and gene editing by BTI Faculty member Georg Jander. They continued their understanding of the current world of gene editing through a hands-on tour of BTI’s greenhouse facility and ended by repotting purple tomato seeds from Norfolk Healthy Produce. Thank you to the New York Youth Institute, Polly Holmberg, and everyone who helped organize a great day for the next generation of leaders in global development, agriculture, nutrition, and technology!

BTI researcher Isako Di Tomassi just received a national award – and the movement she helped build is worth knowing about. Di Tomassi, a Ph.D. candidate in the Restrepo Lab at BTI, co-led The McClintock Letters: a grassroots campaign that mobilized over 600 scientists to write opinion pieces in their hometown newspapers defending the importance of federal research funding. More than 200 pieces were published across 45 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. On March 10, she and Cornell colleague Emma Scales received the "Meeting the Moment for Public Health" award at Research!America's 2026 Advocacy Awards at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. The initiative was named after Barbara McClintock – the Nobel Prize–winning geneticist who spent decades defending curiosity-driven research before her discoveries were recognized. Di Tomassi's own work studies the pathogen behind late blight disease, the same pathogen responsible for the Irish Potato Famine, which continues to threaten food systems today. "As scientists, and particularly as agricultural researchers, we work for the public," said Di Tomassi. "It is part of our job to communicate with the people that we work for, and to share why our research matters and how it helps people." We couldn't be more proud. Read the full story here: btiscience.org/explore-bti/ne…

We want to extend a sincere thank you to Congressman @RepRileyNY (D-NY-19) and Congressman @RepJimBaird (R-IN-4) for their leadership in introducing H.R. 7949 - NSF Plant Biology Act. This bipartisan effort to increase NSF funding for plant and microbial biology research is vital for the future of science and innovation. We are proud to support this initiative! 🌿 congress.gov/bill/119th-con…