-
May 1, 2024
OPGC staff and students participated in a community outreach event organized by the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). This second annual “We Grow Scientists” event, as a part of Center of Science and Industry (COSI) Science Festival, showcased the many STEM fields offered by CFAES. During the event, OPGC hosted a station at Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory. Over 250 visitors were invited to choose a plant, decorate a pot, and take it home with them.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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…
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.