Iowa State University Crop Bioengineering Center

We’re excited to see Iowa State research represented in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission! 🌱

Congratulations to everyone involved in these projects, including CBC member Maria Salas Fernandez. It’s exciting to see Iowa State researchers working on big questions that could have a real impact on the future of agriculture and beyond.

Read more about the projects here:

www.news.iastate.edu

Congratulations to our Crop Bioengineering Center members Shan Jiang, Steve Whitham, and Marna D. Yandeau-Nelson, whose research is part of two projects selected for funding through Iowa State University's Spring 2026 Leveraging AI to Advance Life Sciences and Agriculture Research and Innovation Roundtable!

These interdisciplinary teams are advancing innovative applications of artificial intelligence to:
🌱 Develop next-generation delivery technologies for plant genome engineering.
🌽 Discover genetic pathways that can improve drought resilience in maize.

We're proud to see CBC researchers contributing to collaborative efforts that are shaping the future of crop improvement and agricultural innovation.

Read more about the funded projects:

Six projects selected for funding from Spring 2026 Leveraging AI to Advance Life Sciences and Agriculture RIR - Iowa State Research The spring 2026 Research and Innovation Roundtable (RIR) – Leveraging AI to Advance Life Sciences and Agriculture – resulted in six projects selected for seed funding support from the Office of the President.

Congratulations to CBC's Dr. Jianming Yu on being featured by Iowa State! 🌱 This research combines citizen science with experimental data to reveal new insights into how plants adapt to their environments and supports future crop improvement.

Integrating ‘citizen science’ with experimental data helps uncover how plants adapt - News Service All Articles Integrating ‘citizen science’ with experimental data helps uncover how plants adapt June 03, 2026 A collage of switchgrass photos posted to iNaturalist, a "citizen science" repository that researchers used to identify flowering trends in the perennial grass. Photos courtesy of iNatu...

🌱🧬 The Crop Bioengineering Center at Iowa State University successfully hosted its 2026 Plant CRISPR Workshop, bringing together researchers and trainees for an immersive, hands-on experience in plant genome editing and transformation.

Over 3.5 days, participants gained practical training in CRISPR-Cas guide RNA design, vector construction, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, maize embryo transformation, and emerging tools such as plant single-cell transcriptomics. The workshop also featured presentations from leading experts in academia and industry, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange across the plant science community.

A big thank you to our instructors, guest speakers, staff, and participants for making this workshop such a rewarding experience. We look forward to continuing to expand training opportunities in plant biotechnology and genome editing. 🌽🔬🌱

Read more: https://www.cropbioengineering.iastate.edu/news/2026/cbc-hosts-successful-2026-plant-crispr-workshop

Join us for the next seminar hosted by the Iowa State University Crop Bioengineering Center!

We’re excited to welcome guest speaker Dr. Steve Strauss on Wednesday, April 29 from 12:00–1:00 PM.

This seminar is part of our Spring Seminar Series highlighting cutting-edge research in plant science and bioengineering. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a leading expert and connect with the research community.

📅 April 29, 2026
⏰ 12:00–1:00 PM

Learn more:

Spring Seminar: Guest speaker Dr. Steve Strauss - April 29th, 12-1:00pm Spring Seminar: Guest speaker Dr. Steve Strauss - April 29th, 12-1:00pm Apr 29, 2026 - 12:00 PM to , - Location 1330 ATRB Add to Google Calendar Outlook/iCalendar Talk title: "Just Hit RESET!  An Agrobacterium rhizogenes-based System for Gene Editing and Transgene Excision in Recalcitrant Crops"Dr....

Join us for an upcoming CBC Spring Seminar with Dr. Piero Barone on March 25 from 12:00–1:00 PM 🌱

Dr. Barone will share insights into his latest work in plant bioengineering—don’t miss this opportunity to learn and connect with fellow researchers.

👉 Learn more: https://www.cropbioengineering.iastate.edu/event/2026/spring-seminar-guest-speaker-dr-piero-barone-march-25th-12-100pm

We hope to see you there!

Spring Seminar: Guest speaker Dr. Piero Barone - March 25th, 12-1:00pm Spring Seminar: Guest speaker Dr. Piero Barone - March 25th, 12-1:00pm Mar 25, 2026 - 12:00 PM to , - Location Agron 3022 Add to Google Calendar Outlook/iCalendar Talk title: "Cultivating Innovation: The Future of Agriculture through Genome Editing"Piero Barone earned his PhD from the University of....

CBC member Dr. Patrick Schnable has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors! This prestigious honor recognizes his impactful innovations, patents, and contributions to crop genetics and agricultural research. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! 👏🌽🔬https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/patrick-schnable-elected-national-academy-inventors

www.news.iastate.edu

Join the ISU Crop Bioengineering Center on February 25th as we host our guest speaker, Dr. Margaret Frank. Dr. Frank is an Associate Professor from Cornell University and will be giving her talk titled "Illuminating the Hidden Half through Grafting".

Location: Iowa State University, ATRB 1330
Date/time: 2/25/26, 12:00pm
More info and signup:

Spring Seminar: Guest speaker Dr. Margaret Frank - Feb 25th, 12-1:00pm Spring Seminar: Guest speaker Dr. Margaret Frank - Feb 25th, 12-1:00pm Feb 25, 2026 - 12:00 PM to , - Location 1330 ATRB Add to Google Calendar Outlook/iCalendar Talk title: “Illuminating the Hidden Half through Grafting”Margaret received her bachelor’s from Barnard College in 2007 and her PhD...

Join us Thursday, January 29th from 12-1:00pm as Dr. Dipali Sash*tal gives her talk titled, "Cellular conditions shape CRISPR-Cas
specificity and mechanism."

Guest speaker Dr. Dipali Sash*tal - Jan 29th, 12-1:00pm Guest speaker Dr. Dipali Sash*tal - Jan 29th, 12-1:00pm Jan 29, 2026 - 12:00 PM to , - Location Room 1330, ATRB Add to Google CalendarOutlook/iCalendar Talk title: “Cellular conditions shape CRISPR-Cas specificity and mechanism”Dipali Sash*tal is the Roy J. Carver Professor of Biochemistry, Biop...