Vision
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FER’s forest genetics and biotechnology vision is based on a desire to continue pioneering advances in its basic sciences through extensive research efforts — but to step up its role in developing those advances into practical applications with benefits for the forestry industry and world at large.
Scientific discoveries and advances in genetics and biotechnology have come at a fast and furious pace for the past decade, transforming our knowledge about basic biological processes. However, development of the technologies and knowledge generated by these breakthroughs into cost-effective, practical applications has tended to lag behind. FER’s forest genetics and biotechnology goal is to help adapt the discoveries and new technologies now being used in such areas as genomonics, characterizations of metabolic processes and a host of other biomedial processes for use in forestry and other arenas.
In the years ahead, we intend to continue our pioneering research into genetics and biotechnology, but to also focus on analyzing the costs and benefits of various breakthroughs, develop cost-effective ways to adapt genetic techniques and biotechnologies and find ways to leverage this expensive area of research into practical tools.
We hope our findings will help us solve such real world problems as restoring the American Chestnut tree; developing hardier, more productive forest and fruit trees; and eliminating the risk of blights and pests that now impair the health of our forest systems.
