Supporters, members, and friends of GA-TACF:
The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is proud to share a significant milestone in our restoration research that validates the strategic framework the Foundation has been building for years.
A new paper published today in Science, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, marks a turning point in how endangered species can be restored. The research, by lead author and TACF’s Director of Science Dr. Jared Westbrook, demonstrates that recurrent genomic selection (RGS), a method long used in agriculture and animal breeding, can predict blight resistance in chestnut trees using DNA data alone. The result: substantially shorter breeding cycles and greater precision in developing resistant trees.
Breeding lines, research protocols, and experimental data were generated at Berry College by co-author Dr. Martin Cipollini, assisted by Dr. Caitlin Conn and numerous student and GA-TACF volunteers.
Click here for access to the article: www.science.org/eprint/SBHDH76BXDK366UMHU44/full?activationRedirect=/doi/full/10.1126/science.adw...
A published paper in Science reflects the dedication and scientific rigor behind TACF’s mission. It also affirms the decades-long commitment of our grassroots supporters, whose investment has played a major role in this achievement. Together, we have shown that sustained effort and belief in a bold mission and vision can lead to measurable progress.
This breakthrough signals that chestnut restoration is not only possible, but that it’s advancing with powerful new tools. Beyond the American chestnut, this work offers a model for conserving other threatened tree species worldwide.
Thank you for being part of this long-term effort. Together, we’re turning possibility into lasting progress. This is an exciting time for our chestnut breeding program.
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Marty Cipollini, TACF’s GA-Chapter science coordinator and professor of biology at Berry College in Rome, GA is working diligently with the help of others to revive the American chestnut through painstaking development of potentially blight-resistant trees.
