News

  1. FFA students tour OPGC

    Feb 16, 2024

    45 Future Farmers of America (FFA) students from Plymouth High School in northern Ohio toured the OPGC on February 16, 2024; students ranged in age from 8th -12th grade and were visiting the OSU campus to tour various areas of CFAES. During the tour, Dr. Yu Ma discussed aspects of the USDA National Plant Germplasm System and plant conservation, Susan Stieve discussed flower pollination and seed production and cleaning, and Any Schenkel discussed plant cultivation including in vitro culture.

  2. Flow Cytometry Training at OPGC

    Dec 19, 2023

    The OPGC gained a useful new tool for plant conservation and characterization, a Sysmex Ploidy Analyser!  OPGC staff received 3 days of training including equipment and software use, along with plant tissue sample preparation.  Our goal is to begin analyzing all the herbaceous ornamental accessions conserved at the germplasm center and make this data available to the public through the GRIN-Global database; this ploidy analyzer will open many new avenues of research and breeding. 

  3. OSU Botany Club Tours OPGC

    Nov 19, 2023

    The Ohio State University Botany Club, led by President Edison Cigany, toured the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center November 19, 2023.  Center tissue culture and greenhouse manager Andy Schenkel discussed in vitro plant culture as a tool for clonal plant conservation, including the specialized equipment and procedures required.

  4. Headshot of Dr. Yu Ma with a gray background

    Welcome, Dr. Yu Ma!

    Aug 11, 2023

    We’re excited to share that Dr. Yu Ma has joined us as the new Director of the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center! Get to know a bit about her and some key areas she’ll be focusing on to help advance OPGC’s mission… 

  5. Brazilian Student Presents Research at OSU Exposition

    Nov 21, 2017

    Amanda Lima Vilela, a visiting intern from the Universidade Federal de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil  (UFLA) presented a poster of her work on "Seed quality parameters in different Phlox species" at the annual International Scholar Research Exposition held by the Office of Inernational Affairs of The Ohio State University.  Amanda's poster will be on display in the main university administration building, Bricker Hall, through Spring Semester 2018.  

  6. Dr. Grobman visits OPGC

    Alexander Grobman visits OPGC

    Nov 15, 2017

    Dr. Alexander Grobman, a distinguished corn and sorghum breeder, scientist and international center administrator from Lima, Peru visited the OPGC as part of a tour of germplasm facilities in the USDA National Plant Germplasm System.  Dr. Grobman is a graduate of The Ohio State University so his visit had a dual purpose of exploring international collaboration as well as re-acquainting himself with his alma matter.

  7. Jonathan LaBorde Completes Internship at the OPGC

    Nov 10, 2017

    Undergraduate student and Horticulture major Jonathan LaBorde worked as an intern at the OPGC for the Summer of 2017.  He experienced multiple dimensions of our activities at the OPGC including vegetative and seed propagation, greenhouse management, and field operations.  Jonathan graduates in December 2017 and hopes to pursue a career in the controlled-environment production industry.

  8. New gravel added to Nursery facility at Waterman

    Nov 10, 2017

    During the summer of 2017, a new layer of gravel was added to the nursery facility at Waterman, to provide a more effective surface and enhance our weed management practices.  This activity was co-sponsored by the OPGC and the Olentangy River Re-vegetation project of the University.

  9. OPGC Director invited to present at conference

    Nov 9, 2017

    OPGC Director, Dr. Pablo Jourdan, was an invited speaker at the 7th International Symposium on the Production and Establishement of Micropropagated Plants held in Lavras, Brazil, 24-28 April 2017.  He presented information about the use of short- and medium-term in vitro storage of plant germplasm in the National Plant Germplasm System.

  10. Amanda Lima Vilela

    Amanda Lima Vilela joins the OPGC for an internship

    Nov 9, 2017

    Amanda Lima Vilela, an undergraduate student at the Universidade Federal de Lavras in Minas Gerais, Brazil joined the OPGC in August 2017 for a 5-month internship.  Her work focuses on seed quality parameters in Phlox.  Amanda is carrying on studies initiated by Juliana Espindola and Sibelle Santanna da Silva on characteristics of seed in perennial species of Phlox.  These seeds have presented a challenge to standard germplasm preservation practices.  First, it is difficult to obtain sufficient seed for basic characterization and analysis.

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