Boyce Thompson Institute
@btiscience.bsky.social
Discovery inspired by plants. Click the link to explore more about BTI and for our “House Rules” for Social Media Comments. linktr.ee/BTIScience
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...
The Next Green Revolution Won’t Immediately Be Obvious - CAST - The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
Why the Future of Agriculture depends on investing in discovery science long before the next crisis arrives.
cast-science.org
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...
Connecting surface-level observations with molecular-level data uncovers a conserved plant stress coping mechanism - Boyce Thompson Institute
Unlike humans, plants cannot make simple lifestyle adjustments to adapt to changing environments. When exposed to conditions like extreme heat or water
btiscience.org
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
The Invasive Fern That Science Misidentified for Decades - Boyce Thompson Institute
Salvinia molesta can double its biomass in 36 hours. It spreads across ponds, lakes, and slow-moving waterways in a smothering green mat, blocking sunlight,
btiscience.org
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...
Did you know publicly-funding science supports American farms? Meet Isako “Izzi” Di Tomassi, a plant pathologist who studies plant disease so crops can grow into healthy food and power our economy… |...
Did you know publicly-funding science supports American farms? Meet Isako “Izzi” Di Tomassi, a plant pathologist who studies plant disease so crops can grow into healthy food and power our economy. I...
linkedin.com
Checking in on week 2 through the eyes of our Summer REU students—and as you might expect, there are plants everywhere!
🆕 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. 🔗 👇
Linen, genotrophs and a mid-century bridge to Eastern genetics | The British Journal for the History of Science | Cambridge Core
Linen, genotrophs and a mid-century bridge to Eastern genetics
cambridge.org
BTI's Summer REU program is off to a fast start! From conducting research to exploring Ithaca, our researchers have jumped right into the experience. Take a look at photos from their first week and then click the link to learn more about the program: btiscience.org/bti-welcomes...
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
BTI Postdoc Laura Gonzalez Garcia named to the 2026 cohort of Pew Latin American Fellows - Boyce Thompson Institute
Laura Gonzalez Garcia, postdoctoral researcher in the Nelson Lab at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI), has been named a 2026 Pew Latin American Fellow and
btiscience.org
Let's get to know our 2026 summer REU students! youtu.be/DXhY68CYQ_Y
Meet our 2026 summer REU students!
YouTube video by BTIScience
youtu.be
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...
From Discovery to Startup: How BTI Continues to Cultivate Scientific Innovation Across the Globe - Boyce Thompson Institute
Since its founding more than a century ago, the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) has been a place where bold scientific ideas take root.
btiscience.org
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
BTI names Dr. Natalie Hoffmann inaugural Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellow - Boyce Thompson Institute
Fungi and plants have been trading nutrients underground for hundreds of millions of years. But one basic question has never been answered: how do beneficial
cstu.io
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
Super-powered population genomics: Watermelon super-pangenome paves the way for precision breeding - Boyce Thompson Institute
Watermelon is a quintessential summertime fruit, evoking images of warm, sunny afternoons and cookouts with friends and family. You can easily picture its
cstu.io
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.
Boyce Thompson Institute Awarded USDA Grant to Advance Youth Education in Plant Biotechnology Across New York State - Boyce Thompson Institute
The Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) is pleased to announce that Dr. Georg Jander and Delanie Sickler, Education and Outreach Director at BTI, have received a
cstu.io
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.
Plant compounds that block the sodium-potassium pump are used to treat heart disease. This project aims to identify the body’s regulators of this enzyme in mammalian tissues using activity assays and metabolomics, with possible implications for heart failure & other metabolic diseases treatment.
