I'm Aliiiiiiive

Apr 22, 2015

I'm AliiiiiiiveGreetings backers! It sure has been a while. As I write this the PCR block upstairs is doing its thing for the fourth time now, and I'm really hoping it works this time. This semester's been a bit of a bumpy ride (to put it diplomatically), but I'm optimistic the road ahead will be a bit smoother. To follow: updates on what my chestnuts have been doing, what I've been doing, and - hopefully, fingers crossed, prayers fervently prayed, propitiations of alcohol and livestock made, talismans kissed, obeisances to the four corners of the earth kowtowed - I should have some results to share. Hold on to your hats!

Dorothy like this.

1 comment

Join the conversation!Sign In

Roger F. ThomaBacker

Keep me posted on your needs for small funding amounts.

Apr 22, 20150

Andrew TomesResearcher

Thank you! Between Experiment and some travel money from ESF, I'm hoping to come in right on budget with this project.

Apr 27, 20150

About This Project

Can fungi help restore the American chestnut?

SUNY-ESF

Mycorrhizae are fungi that live in the soil and form partnerships with plants, providing hard-to-find nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus in exchange for sugar. Plants that rely on mycorrhizae tend to perform poorly in areas where their partners are not present. This project's goal is to test whether establishing mycorrhizae on American chestnut seedlings in the lab can improve their growth and survival in the field.