Gschwend Lab

The Gschwend lab aims to identifying genetic variation underlying adaptive traits in crops and their wild relatives.

Grapevine genome evolution

   The Gschwend lab carries out comparative genomic analyses between wild and cultivated grapevines to understand the genetics that provide unique traits to our favorite table and wine grapes.

Grapevine environmental stress resilience

     We utilize molecular genetic and phenotypic analyses to identify genes that provide wild grapevine species with resilience to environmental stress (frost, insect herbivory, and downy mildew) with the aim to improve cultivated grapevine varieties.  

Pennycress waterlogging tolerance

    The Gschwend lab studies the effects of waterlogging on pennycress yield and oil composition and investigates the genetic variation that underlies waterlogging resilience in natural pennycress populations for genetic improvement of this up-and-coming biofuel cover crop.

Giant Ragweed population structure and weed evolution

     We study genetic variation across giant ragweed populations to determine the origination of giant ragweed weedy populations and identify genes that allow for successful establishment in agronomic fields.