Jacob D. Washburn

Research

Imagine a world where one could predict how a given plant cultivar would perform in any location around the world (or even on Mars) before planting it there. Imagine if those same predictive models also had the ability to provide key biological insights and hypotheses. That is the world we hope to enable! We use computational analysis to understand the genetic and physiological basis of plant phenotypes and adaptations to both environmental (drought, heat, etc.) and human imposed conditions (fertilizer, density, monoculture, etc.). We use traditional phenotyping, drones, rovers, physiological instruments, and other methods to evaluate plants in the field, greenhouse, and growth chamber. We apply quantitative genetics, physiological modeling, machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence to predict and understand biological, evolutionary, and agricultural systems.