Your investment helps lay the foundation for research that has the potential not only to help increase the food supply to those in need, but may also enhance the nutritional value of foods in the developed and developing worlds, reduce need for fertilizers and pesticides, and even produce cheaper vaccines.
Carl Leopold, an eminent plant physiologist and nature lover, died on
November 19, 2009 at the age of 89.
Dr. Leopold joined BTI as a research
scientist in 1977, and was named the William H. Crocker scientist in
1979. Some of his most important work was in the area of seed
physiology, particularly sugars that stabilize components in dry
seeds. After retirement as an active scientist, Leopold began a number
of initiatives in which he participated through the remainder of his
life both locally and abroad. Leopold was the founding president of the Finger Lakes Land Trust and was active in the Aldo Leopold Foundation, through which he carried out his father's mission toward the ethical treatment of land. He was a founder of a local organization called Greensprings, which advocates burial without chemical treatment, and he initiated an ecological restoration program in Costa Rica that strives to restore depleted rainforests. Ten years after initiating the program, the once grassy pasture of approximately 100 acres is now a thriving tropical forest. Carl Leopold was a constant presence at BTI up to the time of his passing, sharing his passion for plant research and an array of environmental issues and causes. He will be missed by the BTI faculty and staff.
BTI has long been a proponent of environmental stewardship to save resources for the planet as well as dollars for the Institute. One area in which we have made good progress is energy consumption. Since 2003, our BTU consumption, one measure of energy use, has declined nearly 60%.
http://bti.cornell.edu/SustainabilityPlan.pdf
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A consortium of research groups from ten different countries including the US is sequencing the DNA in the tomato genome. The US team’s sequencing efforts are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In addition to funding the research, NSF also provides funds for educational outreach. As part of their outreach activities, the US group has devised an interactive sequencing puzzle activity in collaboration with BTI’s web designer. The activity includes background information on tomatoes, DNA, and various molecular biology terms and techniques. Give the puzzle a try. Follow the link below.
DNA Sequencing Puzzle
More on Joyce Van Eck's Research
Plant-Microbe Interactions
Plants live immersed in a thriving community of microbes. The diversity of fungi, oomycetes, and bacteria with which plants interact
brings both plague and benefit. The more we understand how plants tame, thwart, and succumb to their bugs, the more likely we will be
able to extract new resources for antimicrobial treatments and manage agricultural challenges.
Maria Harrison, from the Boyce Thompson Institute, is a corresponding author in Science on a
special collection of articles that highlight recent research progress made in understanding microbes and what they bring to the plant world.
More on Maria Harrison's Research
The Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) at the Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University and the US Department of Agriculture invites undergraduate and high school students to apply for PGRP summer internships in 2010. Our program offers students the opportunity to work in a vibrant and supportive environment while gaining greater ...
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Education Coordinator, Tiffany Fleming traveled to Dallas, Texas on October 15-18, 2009 to talk with undergraduates, science teachers, postdocs and faculty about the many exciting learning opportunities at BTI available to people in all phases of their scientific careers. Specifically, Fleming recruited talented undergraduates for the 2010 Summer Internships in ...
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Each year Cornell Plantations Youth Education program hosts Judy’s Day, a large-scale community event devoted to learning and teaching about plants. This year’s event, ‘Journey the World through Plants’ brought over 1,048 people together, all with a common interest in learning more about plants.
Dr. Joyce Van Eck and research ...
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LSIE Report (PDF 196 KB)
BTI scientists recently exhibited their acting skills for the Journal of Visualized Experiments (http://www.jove.com). These scientists showed the world that bugs are cool, particularly in their interactions with host plants.
The video by Martin de Vos explains how you can identify which plants are more resistant to tissue chewing caterpillars. ...
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Nov 30, 2009
9:00 A.M. BTI Auditorium
Dr. Lukas Mueller
Lukas coordinates the SOL Genomics Network (SGN), a site for genome data of Solanaceae species such as tomato, potato and pepper, and am involved in the tomato genome sequencing project.
Nov 30, 2009
9:30 A.M. BTI Auditorium
Inish M. G. O'Doherty
Our research is directed at characterizing structures and biological function of natural products, often referred to as secondary metabolites.
