Boyce Thompson Institute

BTI’s Frank Schroeder will join industry leaders on Nov. 2 for the AFCC conference session “Biotech-Driven Soil Innovation,” exploring how biotechnology and the soil microbiome can help build a more resilient and sustainable future for https://cstu.io/9dd288://cstu.io/81c51f

A Cornell-led research center has received nearly $22.5M from NSF to advance two-way communication between plants and people. BTI is a partner in the CROPPS, contributing to this innovative work at the intersection of plant biology and technology. https://cstu.io/df72fb

BOCES New Vision Life Science students visited BTI on Sept 29 to explore plant science research and our Phenosight facility ahead of their spring internships. Thanks to Alexis Davis for visiting, and to Dr. Julkowska, Dr. McGuire, and Lizzie Trost for sharing their expertise and passion!

BTI dedicated its auditorium in honor of Dr. J. Alan Renwick, a pioneering chemical ecologist, beloved colleague, mentor, and friend. We invite you to read the story, watch the full dedication ceremony and tribute slideshow, and hear memories from those who knew Alan. https://cstu.io/c7275c/

Tomatoes were bred for size, firmness, and shelf life. Flavor didn't always make the cut. A new BTI study maps the genetic "dimmer switches" behind flavor traits in wild relatives. https://btiscience.org/wild-tomatoes-still-hold-the-flavor-we-bred-away-new-map-shows-breeders-where-to-look/

The Andes were supposed to stop this cacao killer. They didn't. A study led by BTI president Silvia Restrepo finds Colombia's black pod pathogen is crossing the mountains on transported cacao plant material. https://btiscience.org/the-andes-were-supposed-to-stop-this-cacao-killer-they-didnt/

Great science is only the beginning. The Cane-Bridge Foundation is helping BTI bridge the gap between discovery and real-world impact — supporting everything from guayule research and crop disease solutions to advanced microscopy, phenotyping and Project Vault! btiscience.org/beyond-the-g...

Meet Benicio “Benny” Sandoval, one of our 2026 BTI REU researchers! Watch as Benny shares his journey in plant science, his research, and how this summer has shaped his plans for the future.

Meet Jua'nele Webb, one of our 2026 BTI REU researchers! Watch as Jua'nele shares what sparked her interest in plant science, the skills she developed this summer, and how her BTI experience is shaping what comes next.

On Sept 18, we’re honoring Dr. J. Alan Renwick by dedicating BTI’s Auditorium in his memory. A pioneer in chemical ecology and a beloved mentor, Alan spent 44 years shaping BTI. If you knew Alan and would like to join us, email communications@btiscience.org to RSVP by Sept 11.

How can better science help build a more sustainable food system? For Benicio “Benny” Sandoval, the answer lies in plant breeding, biotechnology, and research that tackles real-world agricultural challenges. Read about his BTI REU experience! btiscience.org/meet-benicio...

An unexpected Instagram post sparked Jua’nele Webb’s interest in hydroponics and a future connecting engineering and agriculture. This summer at BTI, she expanded her skills and discovered just how many possibilities lie ahead. Read her story! btiscience.org/meet-juanele...

What if plants could be “vaccinated” against disease? New BTI research shows that a natural nematode compound, ascaroside 18, can prime plant immune systems for faster, stronger responses to pathogens—without the growth penalty of a full immune response. Read more: btiscience.org/primed-and-r...

Thomas Hawkins’ path to plant science wasn’t a straight line. From a love of the outdoors to soil science, research, and new possibilities at BTI, his REU experience helped him discover where curiosity can lead. Read Thomas’ story and learn more about his summer: btiscience.org/meet-thomas-...

This summer, Jayna Burch discovered that becoming a scientist isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about staying curious, slowing down, and finding a community that helps you grow. Read Jayna’s story and learn more about her summer research experience at BTI. btiscience.org/meet-jayna-b...

A great spotlight on Benecio Sandoval’s summer research through BTI's REU program! Thank you to East Texas A&M University for sharing his story and highlighting the impact of this important work. www.etamu.edu/news/protect...

Three summer researchers. Three different labs. One shared BTI REU experience. Hear from Josh Bradshaw, Zenon Cieslak, and Zakaria Heyer as they share their summer research journey.

It’s hard to believe our summer REU program has wrapped up! Our 10-week summer of research, discovery and fun culminated in the George and Helen Kohut Symposium. Congrats to our researchers and everyone who made this summer a success!

On July 17, our NSF-funded undergrad researchers visited Cornell’s CHESS facility to see the new XLEAP X-ray in development. This innovative micro-focusing tech will revolutionize how we study biological & environmental systems. Thanks to Rick Ryan & Louisa Smieska for a great trip!

Brownies and plant cells, oh my! Our summer undergraduate researchers visited Ithaca’s YMCA Camp Adventure to teach a yummy lesson on plant cells! Campers built candy cell models on brownies to learn their functions, then enjoyed their creations. Thanks to YMCA of Ithaca & Tompkins County!

The next Green Revolution won't begin with a product launch. It will begin with a scientist seeking to understand how plants, microbes, or insects work. That's the argument BTI's VP of Research, Dr. Andrew Nelson, makes in a new piece for CAST: cast-science.org/the-next-gre...

When heat or drought hits, plants must adjust, prioritizing survival over growth. Research from BTI uncovers how RNA modifications signal the plant to rapidly dial back photosynthesis under stress. A step toward developing climate-resilient crops. Read more: btiscience.org/connecting-s...

This weekend, our NSF-funded REU summer undergrads visited the Sciencenter! They helped kids build candy DNA models to learn about its structure and importance. Everyone left with a yummy snack and new science knowledge! Thanks to the Sciencenter and Sierra Coathup for a great activity.

We were honored to welcome Lorne Montegue and Cathy Emilian from Assemblymember Anna Kelles' office to BTI! They toured our greenhouses and Plant Phenotyping Facility, learned about our research, education, and outreach, and saw firsthand the innovative plant science happening at BTI.

This week's photo challenge: Show us your favorite place in Ithaca. From campus corners and downtown gems to scenic trails and more, our students shared the places that have quickly become their go-to spots while spending the summer here. Swipe through to see Ithaca from their perspective!

Members of the Harrison Lab and REU summer researchers spent the weekend at the Ithaca Farmers Market, showcasing Foldscopes and the fascinating partnership between fungi and plant roots. Visitors explored soil health, phosphate cycling, and how this research supports more sustainable agriculture.

Some pie-oneering research happened in the Potting Room yesterday... Congrats to the winners of this year's BTI Pie Party contest! 1st: Melanie Filiatrault 2nd: Magda Julkowska A huge thank you to our greenhouse team for organizing, and everyone who baked and attended!

Week 3 check-in! Our Summer REU students are making the most of their time in Ithaca, exploring its iconic lake, gorges, and waterfalls.

Scientists misidentified one of the most invasive aquatic ferns for decades. Research corrected the record & revealed why it's hard to stop: it reproduces by endlessly cloning itself. The good news: a treatment that works in one place should work everywhere. cstu.io/a7411f @fernway.bsky.social

Seven students from the NYS 4-H Career Exploration event spent two days at CROPPs and BTI exploring cutting-edge plant science! They learned about programmable plants, grafting, phenotyping, robotics, gene editing, and GMOs—including Norfolk Healthy Produce's Purple Tomatoes. #4HCareerEx26

So honored to be featured by @ourpublicservice.bsky.social to talk a little bit about my work! And very grateful for the two awesome labs that I work in! @btiscience.bsky.social @plantdiseaseguy.bsky.social #plantpathology #science #potatoscience #scicomm www.linkedin.com/posts/did-yo...

🆕 From the latest issue of BJHS: 🧬🌱 What can flax tell us about Cold War genetics? @ejrichards.bsky.social revisits Alan Durrant's "genotroph" experiments, tracing their roots in Britain's linen industry and re-examining evidence linked to Lysenkoism. 🔗 👇

Congrats to Laura Gonzalez Garcia on being named a 2026 Pew Latin American Fellow! Laura will investigate how the RNA modification dihydrouridine shapes RNA function and biology across species using Nanopore sequencing and computational approaches. btiscience.org/bti-postdoc-... #PlantScience

Let's get to know our 2026 summer REU students! youtu.be/DXhY68CYQ_Y

Congrats to the Ascribe Bio on their new collaboration with Syngenta! It is incredibly rewarding to see a company that was founded on BTI technology taking such massive steps toward global food security. www.businesswire.com/news/home/20...

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our summer REU students! We're thrilled to have them at BTI and can't wait to share their research, discoveries, and summer adventures in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned for updates as they explore, learn, and contribute to cutting-edge science.

For more than 100 years, BTI has been a place where bold ideas take root. Alumnus Pedro Rodrigues co-founded PrecizionIQ, a health technology startup developing non-invasive prenatal diagnostics that recently earned top honors at the PanIIT Bangalore Summit 2026. btiscience.org/from-discove...

Today we took a "paws" from our normal activities for some very important research on ear scratches, belly rubs, and treat distribution. Thanks to Cornell Companions for helping BTI take a Paws for a Break today!

PhD candidate Yu-Heng Hsieh is studying the signaling compounds that help plants recruit nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, research that could one day help reduce the need for agricultural fertilizers. Thank you to the the Triad Foundation for helping to make this work possible!

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.

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.

Beneficial fungi have been growing through plant cells for hundreds of millions of years. Scientists still don't know how – without destroying the very cells they depend on. BTI's inaugural Jane Silverthorne Fellow, Dr. Natalie Hoffmann, intends to find out. https://cstu.io/5c7080

Centuries of breeding gave us sweeter watermelons but cost disease resistance. In Nature Genetics, Dr. Zhangjun Fei's BTI team published a 7-species super-pangenome (138 genomes) mapping sweetness, color, and resistance—a blueprint to bring wild resilience back to crops. https://cstu.io/d59eb0

BTI has been awarded a USDA grant to expand plant biotechnology education for K–12 students across NY. Through hands-on learning—including growing & studying the Purple Tomato™—this initiative will connect students with real-world science & meaningful community engagement. thttps://cstu.io/65a796.

This project explores the plant-AM fungi symbiosis, using genetic and metabolomic tools to study how lipids regulate the exchange of phosphate and fatty acids. We aim to enhance this for sustainability. Thanks to the Triad Foundation for supporting BTI’s research.