Happy New Year from the Boyce Thompson Institute 🎉

December 29, 2015
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Dear Friends,

As 2015 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank our BTI family and friends for a successful year filled with new discoveries and to wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season after all our accomplishments.

Looking back on the year, I am grateful for the dedication and energy of both our scientists and staff, and proud of their accomplishments. Our faculty and their teams produced remarkable research on a broad range of topics. BTI research reported in 2015 includes Dr. Fei’s comparative genomic study that uncovered the evolution of novel pathways through which small RNA controls gene expression, to Dr. Klessig’s discovery that a compound derived from aspirin binds to an abundant metabolic enzyme to halt the accumulative cell death that occurs in a range of human neurodegenerative disease. In addition, efforts to apply our research to agricultural needs and human health continues in parallel, such as the award of a patent for boosting beta-carotene levels in potatoes and other crops.

While the tightening of federal funding continues to create a challenging environment for conducting science, BTI has made important strides by creating the culture and infrastructure to balance our portfolio of support through philanthropy. Our work is ongoing and we are currently conducting a search for a new VP of Development and Communications.

Happy holidays and thank you all—faculty, staff, students, postdocs, and friends of the institute—for making our 2015 discoveries possible!

Regards,

David Stern
BTI President and CEO

Favorite Discoveries from 2015

2015 was an exciting year for BTI. Here are just a few of our scientific discoveries from the past year. Read more

Rigas steps down as VP of development and communications

BTI thanks Rigas for her transformative work in communicating the institute's scientific mission and wishes her well in her next endeavor. Read more

Aphids balance their diets by rebuilding plant amino acids

Aphids enjoying their junk food diets. (Illustration by Kelli Monce)

Aphids thrive on a high-sugar diet, thanks to bacterial partners that help them breakdown plant sap and build essential amino acids from scratch. Read more

Aspirin targets key protein in neurodegenerative diseases

The active ingredient in aspirin blocks an enzyme that triggers cell death in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, offering hope for novel treatments. Read more

Imagine a Summer of Scientific Discovery at BTI!

The Boyce Thompson Institute is now accepting applications for summer internships in Plant Genome Research and Bioinformatics! Read more

Last chance to support BTI's innovative research in 2015!

Please consider making a gift to BTI today. Your support means so much to us and to future generations—and is the basis for the next big breakthrough. Giving Opportunities

Mission: To advance and communicate scientific knowledge in plant biology to improve agriculture, protect the environment, and enhance human health

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