Gerald Tuskan

Bio

Gerald Tuskan is the Director of the Department of Energy (DOE) Center for Bioenergy Innovation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a 17-institution effort focused on accelerating the domestication of bioenergy-relevant non-model plants and microbes to enable high-impact innovation across the sustainable aviation fuel  supply chain. Dr. Tuskan has published over 350 publications that have been cited over 36,000 times. His h-index is 83 and he has been listed among the most highly cited author for the past 5 years. He previously was Group Leader of the Plant Systems Biology group at ORNL, co-lead for the Plant Genomics Program at the Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and co-lead PI for DOE Plant-Microbe Interactions SFA project. His research over the past 25 years has focused on the accelerated domestication of Populus through genomic selection approaches and genetic manipulation of targeted genes and gene families, with focus on cell wall biosynthesis. 

Awards

Received the 2024 DOE Office of Science Distinguished Scientist Award

Received in 2024 an R&D 100 Award

Received the 2017 ORNL Outstanding Group Lead Award

Received in 2017 an R&D 100 Award

Editorial Board for Biotechnology for Biofuels and Plant Genome Journal, 2008-present

Received the 2012 Forest Biotechnologist of the Year

Received the 2007 ORNL Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award

Received the 2007 Alumnus of Year at Northern Arizona University

Education

Ph.D. - 1984 - Genetics, Texas A&M University

M.S. - 1980 - Forest Genetics, Mississippi State University

B.S. - 1978 - Forest Management, Northern Arizona University

Trademarks and Patents

Holds 16 patents

Publications