What We Study
- Phenotyping at scale – pairing field robotics, imaging, and classical agronomy to monitor trait development across environments.
- Genomics that matters – linking DNA variation to stress resilience, yield components, and gene regulation in maize and sorghum.
- Collaborative solutions – working with breeders, engineers, and data scientists to turn discoveries into deployable tools.
Recent Highlights
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TPJ Outstanding Paper award for Vladimir Torres-Rodríguez
Vladimir Torres-Rodríguez and co-authors received The Plant Journal’s SEB-Wiley Outstanding Original Article award for 2024 honoring their paper Population-level gene expression can repeatedly link genes to functions in maize. -
Hackathon wins at Bayer Agriculture Data
Ryleigh Kirby, Harshita Mangal, Sofiya Arora, Jensina Davis, Hadiya Kounsar, Ozgur Altundas, Amany Gomaa, and Karla Cuéllar joined the Bayer Agriculture Data Hackathon, where Sofiya’s team won first place, Hadiya and Ryleigh’s team took second, Jensina’s team placed third, and Ozgur’s team earned the social engagement award. -
Ozgur Altundas earns Agronomy Elevator Pitch award
Ozgur Altundas won second prize at the UNL Agronomy Elevator Pitch competition.
Training Across Disciplines
Each lab member gains experience coding, building field equipment, running molecular assays, and communicating results to scientific and public audiences. The cross-training keeps our science grounded in real-world challenges and ensures discoveries translate beyond the lab.
Join the Lab
We are always interested in motivated scientists:
- Undergraduates can contribute to funded projects or propose UCARE research within our focus areas.
- Graduate students and postdocs should reach out with a CV and a short statement of interests; opportunities shift with grant availability.
Check current openings on the Join the Lab page, or email Dr. Schnable to start a conversation.
Looking for the Iowa State group led by Dr. Patrick Schnable? Visit their site.