January 6, 2025
On December 17th, a record 57 members and guests gathered at Reiman Gardens for our highly anticipated 2024 Annual Members Meeting. The event featured three distinguished guest speakers who shared cutting-edge research in plant biology:
- Xianran Li (USDA-ARS) presented on "Phenotypic Plasticity Genes Mediated Plant Adaptation," offering insights into how plants adapt to changing environments through genetic flexibility.
- Chad Niederhuth (Corteva Agriscience) discussed "Supergenes: Evolution of Adaptive Chromosomal Inversions in the Yellow Monkey Flower," exploring the genetic mechanisms behind adaptive traits in this unique species.
- Devin O’Connor (Colorado State University / Pairwise) delivered a talk on "Gene Editing: Tunable and Genetically Dominant Yield Component Improvement in Maize," showcasing innovations in gene editing to enhance crop yields.
In addition to these expert presentations, 10 CBC members had the opportunity to present their own research findings, highlighting the breadth and depth of the work being done within the ISU community.
We extend our sincere thanks to all who attended, and a special thank you to our outstanding guest speakers for sharing their invaluable insights. We look forward to continuing this tradition of knowledge exchange in the coming year.
