Boyce Thompson Institute

10/07/2026

On September 29th, a group of students from BOCES New Vision Life Science program stopped by BTI to learn more about our groundbreaking plant science research and facilities. Dr. Magda Julkowska shared more about BTI’s Phenosight facility and how researchers use it within plant science research. They also learned from researchers in Dr. Silvia Restrepo and Dr. Maria Harrison’s lab to begin understanding the research taking place. The students will be able to participate in a hands-on internship experience next semester, and this field trip is one of many to help them understand life science research and potential research topics they are interested in.

Thank you to Alexis Davis for inviting your students to stop by, and to Dr. Julkowska, Dr. Cristina McGuire, and Lizzie Trost for taking the time to share your enthusiasm for plant science research!

10/06/2026

On September 18, BTI dedicated its auditorium in honor of Dr. J. Alan Renwick, a pioneering chemical ecologist whose connection to the Institute began in 1960, when he arrived from Scotland with a single trunk and was offered a job after just one conversation. Throughout his career, he grew from research assistant to emeritus professor, publishing more than 140 papers and mentoring generations of scientists.

But the stories shared at the dedication made clear that Alan’s legacy was about much more than science. Colleagues remembered his patience, curiosity, humor, generosity, and his ability to make people feel welcome. His daughter, Katie, recalled how he continued coming to BTI for coffee long after retirement, in part because he valued the chance to run into people and hear about their lives and research.

The new Dr. J. Alan Renwick Auditorium is a fitting tribute to someone who believed deeply in both science and the community that makes it possible.

Read Alan’s story, watch the full dedication ceremony and tribute slideshow in the article, and hear more memories from friends and colleagues.

And if you knew Alan, please share a memory or story about him in the comments. We’d love to hear and preserve the stories that made Alan such a special part of BTI.

https://btiscience.org/bti-dedicates-auditorium-in-honor-of-dr-j-alan-renwick/

On September 18, colleagues, family, and friends gathered to dedicate BTI's auditorium as the Dr. J. Alan Renwick Auditorium, honoring the pioneering chemical ecologist who spent more than six decades at the Institute.

10/01/2026

Ever wonder why store-bought tomatoes don't taste like they used to? 🍅

Decades of breeding gave us tomatoes that are bigger, firmer, and easier to ship – but flavor didn't always make the cut. The good news: wild tomato relatives still carry much of what was bred away. Some are packed with lycopene. Some are sweeter. Some never turn red at all.

A new study from BTI researchers Carmen Catala, Zhangjun Fei, and James Giovannoni maps the genetic "dimmer switches" that control color, sweetness, bitterness, and aroma – and pinpoints exactly where and when in the fruit each one matters. That gives breeders a roadmap for bringing the best of wild tomatoes back to our tables.

The full dataset is freely available to researchers and breeders worldwide.

Read the story: https://btiscience.org/wild-tomatoes-still-hold-the-flavor-we-bred-away-new-map-shows-breeders-where-to-look/

09/29/2026

Colombia's three Andean mountain ranges have shaped the movement of people, crops, and organisms across the country for centuries. Researchers expected the same geographic logic would apply to 𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘢, the water mold responsible for black pod disease—the biggest threat to cacao worldwide, destroying up to a quarter of the global crop every year.

New research published in Phytopathology and selected as an editor's choice found otherwise. A team led by BTI president Silvia Restrepo genotyped 73 isolates of the pathogen collected from 48 locations across Colombia's three main cacao-growing regions. Seven distinct genetic clusters emerged. Not one aligned with geography. The Andes are not a barrier to this pathogen.

The study points to human movement of cacao plant material—through breeding and distribution programs—as the likely dispersal network. The pathogen is riding germplasm across mountain ranges that would otherwise keep it contained.

The findings also reveal that virulence varies enormously from strain to strain and that genetic fingerprinting can't predict how aggressive a given isolate will be. That means breeders and growers can't use molecular shortcuts—they need to test resistance against isolates that span the full range of aggressiveness.

Read the full story to understand what this means for Colombia's cacao industry, and why keeping one mating type of this pathogen out of the country has become a national biosecurity priority: https://cstu.io/848c2c/

09/14/2026

What does it take to turn a promising scientific discovery into something that can make a real-world difference?

Sometimes, the answer is more research. More data. Specialized technology. Industry partnerships. Or simply the flexibility to pursue an idea beyond the boundaries of a traditional grant.

That’s where the Cane-Bridge Foundation is making a difference at Boyce Thompson Institute.

Through its support of projects ranging from guayule research for domestic natural rubber to crop disease solutions, therapeutic discoveries, advanced microscopy and BTI’s PhenoSight phenotyping facility, Cane-Bridge is helping scientists bridge the gap between discovery and impact.

At the center of this approach is Project Vault!, a $1 million investment designed to strengthen BTI’s ability to move promising discoveries toward the field, the clinic and the marketplace.

It’s philanthropy with a long-term vision: invest not only in great science, but in what that science needs to go further.

Read the full story to learn how Cane-Bridge is helping build a cycle where philanthropy advances discovery, translation creates opportunity, and successful opportunities help support the science of tomorrow.

A shrub that grows wild in the deserts of the American Southwest could someday replace the latex tapped from rubber trees half a world away — in tires, in

09/03/2026

Meet Benicio “Benny” Sandoval, one of our 2026 BTI REU researchers!

Watch as Benny shares his journey in plant science, his research, and how this summer has shaped his plans for the future.

09/02/2026

Meet Jua'nele Webb, one of our 2026 BTI REU summer researchers!

Jua'nele’s summer was all about learning, growing, and discovering new possibilities.

Watch as she shares what sparked her interest in plant science, the skills she developed this summer, and how her experience at BTI has shaped what comes next.

09/01/2026

On September 18th, we're celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. J. Alan Renwick by dedicating the Boyce Thompson Institute’s Auditorium in his honor.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬@𝐛𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.𝐨𝐫𝐠 — 𝐰𝐞'𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Alan's association with BTI began in 1960, when he joined as a research assistant at our original campus in Yonkers. Over the next 44 years, he was continuously engaged with the Institute — as a graduate student, scientist, faculty member, and emeritus professor. He passed away in September 2024 at the age of 88.

A pioneer in chemical ecology, Alan published more than 140 papers on how chemical signals shape the relationships between plants and insects. His early work decoded how bark beetles use pheromones to coordinate mass attacks on pine trees, appearing in Nature in 1969 and still cited today in forest-protection research. He later turned to crop pests, identifying the specific compounds that draw cabbage butterflies to a host plant and those that repel them; his 1994 review on insect egg-laying remains a standard reference more than thirty years on. Across both, he pursued something he believed in deeply: natural, chemistry-based solutions to problems in crop production and forestry.

Alan was a generous mentor; scientists trained in his lab now work at institutions around the world.

Naming our auditorium for Alan feels especially fitting: a space built for gathering, sharing ideas, and building community — the very things he valued about BTI.

08/31/2026

How can better science help build a more sustainable food system? For Benicio “Benny” Sandoval, the answer lies in plant breeding, biotechnology, and research that tackles real-world agricultural challenges. Read about his BTI REU experience! https://btiscience.org/meet-benicio-benny-sandoval-growing-better-food-systems-through-better-science/

For Benicio "Benny" Sandoval, plant science is more than an academic pursuit; it's a way to solve real-world problems.

08/28/2026

One unexpected Instagram post sparked Jua’nele Webb’s interest in hydroponics—and set her on a path toward engineering and agriculture. This summer at BTI, she expanded her skills in programming, computational biology, and plant science while discovering just how many possibilities lie ahead.

Read Jua’nele’s story and learn about her BTI REU experience: https://btiscience.org/meet-juanele-webb-engineering-new-possibilities-for-agriculture/

Meet Jua'nele Webb: Engineering New Possibilities for Agriculture Internships August 21, 2026 Can one unexpected Instagram post change everything? While scrolling through social media, Jua’nele Webb came across a hydroponic grow tower. She had never seen anything like it before. “I thought, ‘W...