Genomic Tool Development for the Fagaceae

The family of forest trees (the Fagaceae) that includes the chestnuts, oaks and beeches, dominates the hardwood forests of the northern hemisphere. These tree species have significant economic and ecological value. We will study the chestnut genome as a model for the Fagaceae and compare it to oak, beech and other forest trees. A major goal is to advance the breeding of an American chestnut resistant to Chestnut Blight Disease. Chestnut Blight Disease, caused by Cryphonectria parasitica, created one of the greatest ecological disasters in the history of the United States.