34 Years of Research Innovations in Forest Biotechnology
Founded in 1988, the Forest Biotech Group (FBG) is dedicated to research innovations in forest biotechnology and molecular genetics of tree metabolism to improve growth, development, and defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. The FBG is based in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University, and continues to provide advanced innovations in forest and wood biotechnology.
Research Philosophy
Superior Forestry
Forest trees are essential to the ecosystem and constitute a major renewable resource for the bio-economy. Innovations in forest and wood biotechnology could lead to improved resilience to invasive pests and pathogens, re-forestation of marginal land, adaptation to climate change, and sustainable production of bioenergy and biomaterials.
Our research goal is the domestication of forest trees for conservation and productivity, through a systems-level understanding of tree metabolism and advanced molecular genetics. The molecular and genetic processes that regulate wood formation and tree defense are sufficiently complex to preclude the prediction of genetic modification or genomic breeding, without an integrative systems-level analysis. Therefore, a major focus of our research is an integrative systems approach to understand how tree growth and development is influenced by the forest’s abiotic and biotic components.
Selected Recent Publications
Transcriptional reprogramming of xylem cell wall biosynthesis in tension wood
Plant Physiology
2021
Latest News
FBG research on tension wood featured by Plant Physiology on News and Views
Plant Physiology
April 2021
FBG students, Daniel and Barbara, presented their research as concurrent speaker and posters at the 2020 Plant Biology Worldwide Summit
July 2020
FBG research on
hierarchical TRN in wood formation made Cover Story on The Plant Cell
April 2019
Transcription factor network gets to heart of wood formation
FBG research highlighted on Science Daily
March 2019
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FBG alumni Dr. Hao Chen recognized by Plant Cell Author Profiles for research on wood formation TRN
February 2019
FBG co-organized the International Symposium on Forest Tree Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
June 2018
Harbin, China
FBG research on lignin made
Top Story on SCIENCE 360
National Science Foundation's
Research Digest
May 2018
FBG faculty Prof. Jack Wang received Third Place Award at the Marcus Wallenberg Prize Symposium for Young Researchers
November 2017
Stockholm, Sweden
FBG founder Prof. Ron Sederoff awarded 2017 Marcus Wallenberg Prize from King of Sweden
November 2017
Stockholm, Sweden
Contact Us
Forest Biotech Group
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
College of Natural Resources
North Carolina State University
2500 Partners II Bldg
840 Main Campus Dr
Raleigh, NC 27518-7247
USA
+1 919-515-9608