Edward Buckler, a plant geneticist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and an adjunct professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, has been awarded the 2025 Barbara McClintock Prize for Plant Genetics and Genome Studies from the Maize Genetics Cooperation, a global organization of maize geneticists and breeders.
The prize honors “the most outstanding plant scientists working on both genetics and genomics in the present era.” It is named after distinguished Cornell alumna Barbara McClintock ’23, M.S. ’25, Ph.D. ’27, whose pathbreaking research uncovering maize genetics earned her the 1983 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
Buckler’s work explores quantitative and statistical genetics in maize, cassava, biofuel grasses and grapes. He has also made significant contributions to the study of plant genetics generally: for example, Buckler and his teams developed the statistical algorithms, software and genotyping approaches that enabled scientists to evaluate genomes more effectively to discover trait associations and evolutionary patterns across more than 3,000 species. His work has been cited over 85,000 times by other scientists.
“Edward Buckler is recognized as a worldwide leader in the integration of genomic approaches with quantitative and statistical genetics to reveal the genomic diversity in maize and to understand the genetic architecture of complex traits,” said Jim Holland, a research geneticist with USDA-ARS. “He has fundamentally contributed to enhanced understanding of genomic diversity in maize and genetic architecture of complex traits; innovative design of molecular, genetic and statistical approaches to identify genes underlying agronomic, evolutionary and nutritional traits; and systematic development of informatic platforms to empower worldwide breeding programs for genomics-assisted crop improvement.”
“Dr. Buckler built from the insightful foundations laid by Barbara McClintock to help us understand the structure and function of the genome of maize, one of the most important crops grown in the nation,” said James Giovannoni, director of the ARS Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health. “His discoveries and community leadership influence research and breeding in many other important crops and the trajectory of his current work on the genetic basis of complex traits facilitating sustainable, climate resilient production and increased yield mean even greater scientific achievements to come.”
Buckler praised McClintock’s efforts to “unlock the mysteries of genetics and genomes, paving the way for the tools we use today to understand the vast diversity of plants and to design food systems that are both productive and environmentally sustainable.”
“With the power of modern genomics, my research has built on Barbara McClintock’s foundational work, linking recombination to traits we can now map and utilize across any species,” Buckler said. “It has been a privilege to work with nearly 2,000 scientists worldwide, applying fundamental genetics and genomics on a global scale. I am deeply grateful to the maize community and to my incredible collaborators, who have made the research honored today possible.”
Krisy Gashler is a writer for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
