Diversifying transgenic blight‐tolerant American chestnut population

Published July 24, 2019

Over four billion American chestnut trees have been killed as a result of an introduced pathogen, the chestnut blight. But recently, thanks to science and the hard work of TACF and our partners, transgenic blight‐tolerant American chestnut trees have been developed. We plan to outcross transgenic trees to wild trees to diversify the blight-tolerant population for restoration. If approved, this would be the first instance where a transgenic approach has been used to restore a tree species that has been rendered functionally extinct.

Read the full report from Dr. Jared Westbrook, TACF’s Director of Science and other contributors at New Phytologist Trust.

Sara Fitzsimmons in 2005 with Jim Gage, Dr Phil Arnold, Dr Robert Gregg

2005
Sara Fern Fitzsimmons with Jim Gage, Dr Phil Arnold, & Dr Robert Gregg

2006, Sara Fitzsimmons pollinates at Stockers

2006
Sara pollinating at Stockers, PA

Sara rating cankers at Thorpewood

Sara rating cankers at Thorpewood, MD

Sara at the 25th Annual TACF meeting

2008
Sara at the 25th Annual TACF Meeting

Sara and the Graves tree

2009
Sara in the PSU Graves Orchard

Sara Fern Fitzsimmons in the Glenn Swank stump, 2009

2009
Sara in the Glenn Swank stump, PA

Sara at the International Chestnut Symposium, 2012

2012
Sara at the International Chestnut Symposium

Sara in Vermont

2014
Sara with Harmony Dalgleish and the Berlin American chestnut in Vermont

Kendra and Sara in the field

Sara and Kendra Collins working in the field

Sara presenting at the 2022 TACF Spring Meeting

2022
Sara presenting at TACF’s Spring Meeting

Sara (in the rocker) with TACF staff at the Fall Meeting

2023
Sara (in the rocker) with TACF staff at the Fall Meeting

Sara Fern Fitzsimmons

2024
Sara in the Penn State greenhouses