What We Study
Phenotyping
Developing and testing new approaches to measure plants, from greenhouses to fields to satellites.
Quantitative Genetics
Collecting genetic, molecular, and trait data from large populations to understand how genes and environment shape phenotypes.
Genomics
Using comparative genomics to engineer more stress-tolerant and resource-use-efficient plants.
Each lab member gains experience coding, building field equipment, running molecular assays, and communicating results to scientific and public audiences. The cross-training keeps our science grounded in real-world challenges and ensures discoveries translate beyond the lab.
Where Our Trainees Go
Our alumni are employed as professors at eleven universities across four countries, as research scientists at all three of the major seed companies, and at multiple plant biotechnology startups.
Recent Lab News
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James Schnable wins NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture
James Schnable has been announced as the 2026 winner of the National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences. The prize recognizes researchers who have made extraordinary contributions to agriculture and food science. -
PAG Lab Reunion
Hit a new record for the number of lab alumni attended: L→R Sunil K. Kenchanmane Raju (now of UC Riverside), James Schnable, Zhikai Liang (now of NDSU), Ravi Mural (now of SDSU), and Vla Torres-Rodriguez (news coming soon). -
Prof. Schnable featured on The Crop Science Podcast
In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast, James Schnable discusses how genetics, genomics, and machine learning are reshaping modern hybrid development—explaining how breeders use genomic prediction and high-throughput phenotyping to tackle climate variability, stress tolerance, and yield stability.
Looking for the Iowa State group led by Dr. Patrick Schnable? Visit their site.