Jason Kelly(@jrkelly):Awesome news today -- @sunyesf scientists are de-extincting lost American trees! @USDA just approved a genetically modified version of one of the great American trees, the American Chestnut, that went effectively extinct due to an Asian fungal blight introduced in 1904 that killed 3-4 BILLION trees (some 120 feet tall) by 1950. By adding in one gene from wheat to the American Chestnut genome, conservation scientists at @sunyesf have shown they can make the American Chestnut resistant to the fungal blight and revive and bring back this American classic. Let's finish this approval by @EPA and get these planted so our kids can visit these forests!!!

2026.08.31 20:23

Awesome news today -- @sunyesf scientists are de-extincting lost American trees! @USDA just approved a genetically modified version of one of the great American trees, the American Chestnut, that went effectively extinct due to an Asian fungal blight introduced in 1904 that killed 3-4 BILLION trees (some 120 feet tall) by 1950. By adding in one gene from wheat to the American Chestnut genome, conservation scientists at @sunyesf have shown they can make the American Chestnut resistant to the fungal blight and revive and bring back this American classic. Let's finish this approval by @EPA and get these planted so our kids can visit these forests!!!