Developing breakthrough technology for oilseed crops well-suited to growing on marginal lands in appalachia has the potential to address several critical agricultural production and economic…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded West Virginia State University Research and Development Corporation $599,947 on December 15, 2025, under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program (CFDA 10.216).

The award funds faculty and student research to genetically modify pennycress for increased energy storage capacity, nutritive value, and ability to grow on marginal soil in Appalachia. Research activities include developing metabolomics data sets, transformation constructs, and high oil-yielding gene-edited lines intended for use by scientists across basic and applied agriculture research. The project also provides hands-on experiential learning opportunities and summer workshops on photosynthesis for students at West Virginia State University, with student activities encompassing training in photosynthesis methods, field experience, mentorships, and summer workshops.

Performance occurs in Dunbar, West Virginia. The period of performance runs from the award date through December 14, 2028. This project aligns with the Executive Order on Unleashing American Energy by fostering domestic bioenergy production.

Developing breakthrough technology for oilseed crops well-suited to growing on marginal lands in appalachia has the potential to address several critical agricultural production and economic development challenges. The overall goals of this project are to 1) conduct faculty and student research to genetically modify pennycress to increase the plant's energy storage capacity and nutritive value as well as the plant's ability to grow on marginal soil, and 2) provide hands-on experiential learning opportunities and summer workshops on photosynthesis for students at west virginia state university. Research activities will include developing tools such as metabolomics data sets, transformation constructs, and high oil-yielding gene-edited lines tools that will be useful to scientists working on a wide range of topics in basic and applied agriculture research. Student learning activities will include training in photosynthesis methods, field experience, summer workshops, and mentorships. This project aligns with the EO on unleashing american energy by fostering domestic bioenergy production.