Research by MSI PIs Donald Wyse (professor, Agronomy and Plant Genetics) and David Marks (professor, Plant and Microbial Biology) is featured in a recent story on the Office of the Vice President for Research Inquiry blog. Professors Wyse and Marks are developing the plant pennycress for use as a cover crop. It could be used in fields that would otherwise be bare when not being used for corn or soybeans, thus protecting the soil and providing additional income for farmers from seed oil and meal. Read the story: From “Weed” to “Worthwhile”: Pennycress Makes Cover Cropping Viable.
Professor Wyse uses MSI to develop identification assays for Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) seeds. Professor Marks is performing de novo assembly and analysis of plant genomes and RNA-sequencing data.
A story about the pennycress project, part of the Forever Green Initiative, appeared on the MSI website in October 2019: Domesticating Pennycress.