BTI's NSF REU Program is training the next generation of plant scientists. Check out this video the researchers made to show what it’s all about! Applications for 2026 are open: reu.btiscience.org Thanks to @ScienceIRL for the awesome video! www.instagram.com/science_irl/

BTI alumni take top honors at FuzeHub’s 2025 Commercialization Competition! Congratulations to Alexa Schmitz (founder of REEgen) and Murli Manohar (founder of CryoBio) for winning 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 at the FuzeHub pitch competition last week.

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻 Meet the monster that destroyed potato fields and still lurks today. But there’s hope and scientists are fighting back! Watch the video and read more: btiscience.org/explore-bti/... youtube.com/shorts/Q_orZ...

👻 With Halloween just around the corner, we asked some members of our BTI community what would really scare them in a haunted house 🎃😱

No drama when the day features a llama. And it's not so 'ruff' when you get to enjoy some doggy fluff. Thanks Cornell Companions for stopping by!

Yesterday BTI hosted our Fall Community Lunch, a perfect break to connect, chat, and get festive! 🍂 From pumpkin decorating to tasty fall treats, it was all about good food and great company. Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun!

PlantGene's CRISPR Help Session Part II is an interactive Q&A event. The audience will have an opportunity to ask specific questions to expert speakers Chung-Jui Tsai and Joshua Clem about analysis of edited lines. Register here: cornell.zoom.us/webinar/regi... #Biotechnology #CRISPR

BTI is hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor in plant science or related fields. Join a collaborative research community advancing discoveries to improve agriculture, the environment, and human health. Learn more & apply btiscience.org/get-involved/careers Please share with your networks!

🍃 🧬 Now on BasilBase - A high-quality, contiguous #basil reference #genome! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... In cooperation with @nupress.bsky.social , @btiscience.bsky.social & Chicago botanical garden.

The @btiscience.bsky.social September Kudos winner was my incredible labmate, Angie! Not only is she a pro #mycologist and #plantpathologist, she is so generous with her time and always willing to help a colleague.

Congrats to Ascribe Bio on their $12M Series A to launch Phytalix®, a new biofungicide delivering sustainable, effective disease control for farmers worldwide — a major milestone born from years of collaboration at BTI. 🌱 www.businesswire.com/news/home/20...

Shape the future of #PlantScience! BTI, affiliated with Cornell, seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor to drive discovery in plant biology. Review of applications begins November. Apply: recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/J...

Now accepting applications for the Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at BTI! 🌿 Supporting bold scientists tackling plant science frontiers with cross-disciplinary approaches. Full funding for high-risk, high-reward research. Apply by Jan 15, 2026! 🧬 spf.btiscience.org

BTI’s Post Graduate Society (PGS) recently held their annual symposium, a full day celebrating science with poster sessions, talks, and great opportunities to connect.

A reminder and new link! Join AGROSAVIA & BTI for a workshop on how pangenomes are transforming genomics, breeding & agriculture! Oct 1, 2025 | 9–4 US / 8–3 COL For students, postdocs & researchers in #PlantScience. Register: www.agrosavia.co/eventos/ft_1...

Join AGROSAVIA & BTI for a workshop on how pangenomes are transforming genomics, breeding & agriculture! Oct 1, 2025 | 9–4 US / 8–3 COL For students, postdocs & researchers in #PlantScience. Register: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4e70c4...

New on H-Sci-Med-Tech: Check out Eric J. Richards (@btiscience.bsky.social)‬’s review of @mattholmes.bsky.social’s book _The Graft Hybrid: Challenging Twentieth-Century Genetics_ pub 2024 @upittpress.bsky.social ‬ #HSTM Review available @hnetreviews.bsky.social www.h-net.org/reviews/show...

Sarah Siegle spent her summer in BTI’s REU program exploring how lignin in corn affects nitrification and how genomic models can predict lignin content. Along the way, she gained five key insights and reflects on her time at BTI as a season of growth and inspiration. btiscience.org/explore-bti/...

This summer, Hazel Frans studied cold tolerance in Arabidopsis at BTI. She built research skills, explored Ithaca with friends, and connected with fellow students, an experience that deepened her passion for plant biology and prepared her for grad school. btiscience.org/explore-bti/...

Paul Kuehnert went from woodworking to plant science. Through the BTI REU program, he gained lab experience, confidence, and a clear goal: pursuing graduate study in plant breeding. btiscience.org/explore-bti/...

Join AGROSAVIA & BTI for a workshop on how pangenomes are transforming genomics, breeding & agriculture! Oct 1, 2025 | 9–4 US / 8–3 COL For students, postdocs & researchers in #PlantScience. Register: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4e70c4...

Tetianna Smith-Drysdale spent the summer expanding her research experience and scientific understanding through the REU program at the BTI. Her journey has been shaped by curiosity, determination, and a passion for the hidden world of life under our feet. btiscience.org/explore-bti/...

Abby Stathis spent the summer at BTI uncovering how microbes shape plant disease. From culturing bacteria, to running field experiments, she dove deep into molecular biology while learning from mentors who inspired her. Read Abby's story of curiosity and discovery. btiscience.org/explore-bti/...

Check out part 2 of WSKG’s Excursion Lab Series filmed at BTI! Julie Bell, Plant Growth Facility Manager, shows how plants are grown in high-tech greenhouses and growth chambers. youtu.be/Cm5fCBdrR_c?...

BTI scientists discovered how Phytophthora infestans (Irish Potato Famine culprit) can “switch” fungicide resistance ON after one low dose, then OFF when the threat passes. A new survival strategy with big implications for protecting potatoes & tomatoes: btiscience.org/explore-bti/... #PlantScience

This summer, BTI welcomed 34 undergrads + 3 high school students for 10 weeks of hands-on research, community outreach, and new friendships. Hear their stories and see how they grew as scientists and people: btiscience.org/explore-bti/... youtu.be/RkDryO8O05Y

The 2025 BTI PGS Symposium is happening Sept. 23. Open to all members of the BTI + Cornell community. Register by Sept. 9 to attend or present! A day of research, connections, and great food awaits. Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Your feed is probably full of #BackToSchool posts with kids sharing their dreams and goals for the future. We thought it would be fun to check in with our plants too! Just like those heading back to school, our plants also are hard at work chasing big goals.

WSKG visited BTI for their Excursion Lab Series. In part one, Dr. Magdalena Julkowska introduces phenotyping, using imaging to track plant growth, health & adaptation. youtu.be/tGs-caursWw?...

This summer, undergrads from across the U.S. joined the NSF-funded CROPPS REU, working on cutting-edge projects in digital biology. Through mentorship, workshops, & lab experience, they gained skills and confidence in the future of plant science. news.cornell.edu/stories/2025...

Our summer researchers brought plant science to 90 campers at the YMCA of Ithaca & Tompkins County! Younger kids explored nature with bingo and leaf-press art, while older campers learned to ID trees and made UV leaf prints. A day full of discovery, creativity, and the wonder of plants!

Check out this awesome video recap of the Summer Research Experience program created by REU student Camila Hoyos Ayala! Are you an alum of our summer research program? If so, what is one of your favorite memories? Video by Camila Hoyos Ayala.

Our summer undergrads joined OCM BOCES’ CHIPS Camp at TC3, sparking 7th-graders’ excitement with strawberry DNA extractions and a plant-insect game (fun fact: crickets hear with their legs!). Thanks to OCM BOCES + TC3 for hosting an inspiring camp.

Congrats to Drs. David Artis & Chun-Jun Guo (@weillcornell.bsky.social) and Frank Schroeder (BTI) on the 2025 Biocodex International Microbiota Grant! Their work will advance research on how microbes shape health & disease. medicine.weill.cornell.edu/news/new-gra... #GutMicrobiome

Upcoming Event: #CRISPR Help Session! Join an interactive Q&A with experts on gRNA design, vector cloning, and plant transformation. Move between breakout rooms, ask your questions, and get direct answers. Register: lnkd.in/e3uquHAi

A day in the life of a BTI REU student at Cornell, studying carbon allocation in grapevines: root exudates, growth, morphology, stomatal conductance, and photosynthesis. Video by Sophia Speller Speller:https://youtube.com/shorts/OVBmDktyfrs

We’re proud to lead the pangenome approach powering this research collaboration with Meiogenix and FFAR. Our multidisciplinary team is screening hundreds of wild tomato species to map valuable traits for drought and disease resistance. #PlantScience news.btiscience.org/252915-bti-m...

Meet Allison Kokal, an REU student at BTI and Cornell University with the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS). This summer, she’s exploring tomato plant cross-pollinations! 🍅 youtu.be/g8mnOgjGaAA #PlantScience

BREAKTHROUGH: BTI scientists have created the first complete genetic makeup of a sweetpotato genome—all 90 chromosomes! 🧬 This could fast-track breeding of drought-resistant, nutritious crops for millions. The future of food just got a boost. 🍠 news.btiscience.org/252852-decod... #PlantScience

Join us today for the George and Helen Kohut Symposium, in-person or on Zoom, starting at 9:30! This annual event celebrates the innovation, curiosity, and achievements of our summer researchers! btiscience.org/event/2025-g... #PlantScience

Posters are going up… that can only mean one thing: the George and Helen Kohut Symposium is TOMORROW at 9:30 AM! Join us in-person or on Zoom to celebrate student research & achievement! Info & schedule: btiscience.org/event/2025-g...

ATTENTION #PlantScience researchers! @btiscience.bsky.social is the best place in the whole world to work. Today was Cookies and Canines Day where they brought in dogs to pet and cookies to eat! And here's @epiplantpath.bsky.social meeting some new friends = )

In the dog days of summer, we took a "paws" to relax with some sweet treats and even sweeter pups! Thanks to the tail-waggingly wonderful dogs from Cornell Companions for visiting!

BTI summer undergraduate researcher Sarah Siegle is digging into how lignin in maize residues influences soil nitrogen cycling. Over 4 weeks she’s tracking nitrate buildup to unlock insights to help inform breeding and management decisions.

One of our favorite BTI traditions: the annual t-shirt design contest! Big shoutout to Camila Castellanos (Schroeder lab) for this year’s winning design, featured on our summer picnic shirts. Watch how we go from sketch to shirt!

Yesterday’s Summer Picnic was a wonderful chance to connect across the Institute. It was great to see so many colleagues from different departments, along with our undergraduate summer researchers! Thank you to everyone who joined us, and an extra special thanks to the team who organized everything!

Check out this great idea for taking science out of the classroom! Reach out to us if you want to learn how to host events like this to share the joy of microscopy with your community!

BTI summer undergrads brought science to the Ithaca Farmers Market! Over 160 visitors explored root fungi through Foldscopes, learned about phosphate cycling, and took home stickers and photos.

It’s hard to believe our summer undergraduate researchers are wrapping up in just a few weeks! This summer of science has flown by. Catch up on their adventures in the lab, out in the field, around Ithaca, and beyond!

Congrats to our 2025 PGS Innovative Ideas Research Grant awardees! Elizabeth Trost (Harrison Lab) – studying plant-fungal symbiosis Yu-Heng Hsieh (Schroeder Lab) – uncovering plant-cyanobacteria signals Thanks to all applicants & the Triad Foundation!