Boyce Thompson Institute

BTI research could help farmers improve phosphate capture, potentially reducing the harm associated with over-fertilization! Discoveries like this at BTI are made possible thanks to friends like you. Learn how you too can support scientific advancements at BTI: https://btiscience.org/give!

Travelers along the fabled Silk Road would pick apples at one spot and toss their cores many miles away. The seeds grew into trees in new locations, cross-bred with wild species, and created more than 7,000 varieties of apples that exist today! This made the apple genome very complex and difficult to study. However, a global team co-led by BTI's Zhangjun Fei and Gan-Yuan Zhong, scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service applied cutting edge technology to tackle this problem, leading to knowledge that could be used for crop improvement, such as improving size, flavor, sweetness and texture. http://bit.ly/BTI_GenomicResourcesForImprovingApples

A special #Halloween themed #FunnyFriday!

Think plants are harmless objects that do nothing but sit around all day, looking pretty? Well, think again! BTI's Dr. Fay-Wei Li recently discussed spooky plants as part of the Breaking Ground Discussion Series. Learn about mind-altering liverworts, toxic Wolf’s bane, killer ferns, and more. You may never view innocent-looking plants the same way! Learn more about Breaking Ground and register for the next on here: https://btiscience.org/breaking-ground.

Emily Humphreys participated in BTI’s Professional Development Series over the summer. She recently reflected on the experience and lessons learned: https://bit.ly/BTI_Emily_Week7. "We can learn things by looking at a part, but we understand things by looking at the whole."

Meet Josh Judkins! A 2008 Stern Lab PGRP intern, Josh returned to work in the Schroeder Lab (2009-2014) studying small molecules that regulate C. elegans life span and development. Believing that BTI contributed to who he is today and that the work we do makes the world a better place, he includes BTI in his annual giving. If you too would like to support science at BTI, check out https://btiscience.org/give. Josh also enjoys gardening and leading public observations at High Rock Tower Observatory, in Lynn, MA as an amateur astrophotographer. Thank you, Josh for your energy and inspiration!

Did you know that virology has its roots in plant science? In fact, without plant science, the medical community may have taken much longer to discover viruses and develop vaccines. Karen-Beth Scholthof from Texas A&M University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Paul Debbie, BTI’s Director of Research and New Business Development recently discussed the important role of plants in virus research. Click here to watch more: https://www.facebook.com/BTIScience/videos/2768876526764827

Mind-altering liverworts, toxic Wolf’s bane, killer ferns, oh my! Have you registered for BTI's virtual discussion "Spooky Plants" with Dr. Fay-Wei Li? Thursday, Oct. 29 at 12 pm ET. It's sure to be a spooktacular good time! http://bit.ly/BTI_SpookyPlants

It's #NationalPumpkinDay! Most of us associate pumpkins with jack-o-lanterns and Halloween decor, but did you know they are a staple food in many developing countries? Researchers at BTI sequenced the genomes of two pumpkin species, which has the potential to improve the pumpkin breeding process and increase resistance to disease. Interested in learning how you can support discoveries at BTI? Check out https://btiscience.org/give!

Happy #MoleDay! Celebrated annually on October 23 from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m., Mole Day commemorates Avogadro's Number (6.02 x 1023), which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. Mole Day was created as a way to foster interest in chemistry.

Breeders at national research institutes who until recently recorded data from field or greenhouse trials with a pen and paper, and later transferred it into excel sheets on their computers, now record the data on tablets and upload it directly into a database such as SweetPotatoBase a crop-specific breeding support platforms hosted by BTI. This not only boosts the efficiency of national breeding programs, it facilitates data sharing, international collaboration and meta analysis. https://cipotato.org//big-data-drives-solutions-global-ch/

#WorldFoodDay is calling for global solidarity to make food systems more resilient and robust so they can withstand increasing volatility and climate shocks, deliver affordable and sustainable healthy diets for all, and decent livelihoods for food system workers. Today, we reflect on BTI's mission to advance and communicate scientific discovery in plant biology to improve agriculture, protect the environment, and enhance human health": https://btiscience.org/impact.