Plant Genetics and Physiology

We examine how plants grow, reproduce and respond to their environment — and the genetic and physiological mechanisms behind it all — to improve the environmental sustainability of wood production.  Learn more about this research by exploring the focus areas below.

Focus Areas

  • Examines the genetic and physiological mechanisms that determine how plants grow, reproduce, respond to their environment, and are managed and modified for human benefit. We research means to improve the environmental sustainability of energy, wood, and paper production in trees using genomics (entire DNA) and genetic engineering methods.

    Forest genetics research in FES focuses on the genomics, biotechnology, ecological genetics, physiological genetics, and breeding of forest trees, especially poplars and Douglas-fir. Poplar research explores what genes do (functional genomics), while Douglas-fir research looks for the genetic underpinnings of wood quality and adaptations such as cold hardiness. Research in tree physiology explores the physiological mechanisms of growth and ecology of forest trees, such as aging processes in forest trees, why plants produce the structures they do, and how that influences resulting wood quality.

    Faculty Research Programs

    GREAT TREES Cooperative

    The GREAT TREES Cooperative focuses on development of advanced gene editing and transformation methods. A key element of research is the application of development-controlling genes to promote regeneration of transformed or gene-edited plants.

     Website: http://people.forestry.oregonstate.edu/steve-strauss/great-trees-cooperative
    Hardwood Silviculture Cooperative

    The Hardwood Silviculture Cooperative (HSC) conducts high priority silvicultural research on hardwood species and mixed hardwood/softwood stands in the Pacific Northwest, with the goal of providing information that will improve the management of these stands.

     Website: http://hsc.forestry.oregonstate.edu/
    Northwest Tree Improvement Cooperative

    The mission of the Northwest Tree Improvement Cooperative (NWTIC) is to assist and coordinate members in developing and managing their forest gene resources in the Pacific Northwest. Accordingly, NWTIC is committed to enhancing forest productivity by assisting members in developing genetically improved forest trees that yield more and better wood products and by promoting the development and sharing of technical information pertaining to applied forest genetics.

     Website: http://nwtic2.forestry.oregonstate.edu/
    PNW Tree Improvement Research Cooperative

    The purpose of the Pacific Northwest Tree Improvement Research Cooperative (PNWTIRC) is to conduct genetics and breeding research on Pacific Northwest tree species with the goal of providing priority information that will enhance the efficiency of tree improvement efforts. Emphasis is on region-wide problems dealing with major coniferous species. The PNWTIRC is concerned with both tree breeding and mass production of genetically improved materials. Another important objective of the Cooperative is to foster communication among tree improvement workers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

     Website: http://pnwtirc.forestry.oregonstate.edu/