Heather Coleman, associate professor in the biology department, co-authored a letter in Science urging forestry organizations to lift the ban on biotech trees—those that have been genetically modified. She says the ban “unfairly besmirches the reputation of trees modified by genetic engineering or gene editing.” She believes that such trees can actually contribute to forest management by better resisting disease or other factors. Professor Coleman’s research interests lie in plant biotechnology, genetic and environmental control of cell wall formation, xylogenesis, molecular farming and functional genomics. Read more about her letter.