Towards a thousand new crops
Hudsnulfa’s work to democratize plant genomics is unlocking the genetic potential of the world’s neglected species, and turning wildlife into sustainable food security.
December 15, 2025
By: Sarah Sherman, Ph.D
“We are not on track to meet future food needs. Not even close.”
This stark warning, issued by more than 150 Nobel and World Food Award winners, captures the scale of the world’s food challenge. Today, about 700 million people are hungry, and by 2050, we will need to feed 1.5 billion more. Meeting this demand will require not only improving existing crops, but also discovering entirely new ones.
But Hudson’s Alpha Institute for Biotechnologyplant genomics researchers are tackling this challenge by decoding the DNA of wild plants to help breeders develop new, climate-resilient crops.
Looking beyond the Big Four
Wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans currently provide more than 50 percent of the world’s food. Their intensive annual cultivation makes them vulnerable to changing weather patterns, pests and diseases, while reducing overall crop biodiversity. Yet researchers estimate that there are about 35,000 edible plant species on Earth that are not part of our daily diet. Could even a fraction of these species be domesticated to help feed the world? The answer can be found in genomics, which aims to bring these underutilized plants into the mainstream.
From ancient breeding to genomic acceleration
It took thousands of years for our ancestors to transform wild grasses like tussocks into modern corn. Today, DNA sequencing allows scientists to identify the genes responsible for desired traits and use that information to breed new crops in a fraction of the time.
“Historically, crop breeding was a long process of repeatedly breeding plants with desired traits until a hardy, nutritious crop emerged.”. “Now, DNA sequencing technology allows us to identify the genetic regions that underlie these traits and use that information to more efficiently breed or develop the plants we need.”
Partnership for Perennial Progress
The genomic expertise of Hudisnulfa makes it a valuable partner in efforts to breed new crops, especially perennials. Several Hudsnalpha labs have formed key alliances Land Institute, A Kansas-based nonprofit organization recognized worldwide for its pioneering work in perennial agriculture.
The Land Institute’s field and breeding pairs are naturally occurring with molecular and genetic insights into Hudsnulapha. Together, the two organizations, along with many other partners, are advancing three leading candidates for sustainable perennial crops: Curenza ® Perennial Cerealfor , for , for , . Perennial fruit cyanophane (Perennial rest
Ben), and Perennial Tulsid Salavar. By combining field performance with genetic markers, they can identify highly intelligent plants years before traditional methods.
Curanza is already finding markets as an ingredient in bread and beer, while saphenous and sillaflower are in the early stages of development. During these projects, Hudsnalpha’s genomic data and analytical pipelines guide each generation cycle, transforming what was once a trial-and-error field selection into a data-driven process.
Case study: Sulfim, an intelligent perennial basil
Sulfium Antiphylliumcommonly known as silla flour, is native to North America. It thrives in arid environments and produces large seeds, making it a strong candidate for rearing and downstream uses for cooking oil and bioproducts. At the Land Institute, lead perennial basil scientist, David Van Tassel, Ph.D., began collecting wild sillaflower seeds in 2001 and formally integrated it into the institute. Perennial Cereals Research Program two years later. With deep roots and drought tolerance, sillaflower can access groundwater six feet below the surface, reducing the need for irrigation and offering more drought resilience than many annual crops.
Although rugged and flexible in the wild, Sulfim was not ready for the farm. Its seeds vary in size, many plants produce few seeds, and harvesting them is inefficient, all traits that make commercialization nearly impossible. Converting it into reliable basil requires increased yield, uniformity and pruning while preserving the drought tolerance that makes the species so valuable. Hudsnalpha’s genomic tools are helping breeders identify the genes behind these important traits and accelerate improvement.
Construction of genetic resources for perennial basil
Because perennials grow more slowly than annuals, breeders often wait three to four years before measuring yields, which increases household time and cost. At Hudsnalpha, faculty investigators Josh Clevinger, Ph.D., and Alex Harksis, Ph.D., along with their teams, are addressing this challenge by developing low-cost genotyping strategies that identify valuable traits long before full field trials are completed.
“Reducing costs is central to the mission,” explains Renan Souza, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow who leads HudsonLafa’s Silla Flower project. “Many public breeding programs cannot sustain thousands of plants through multi-year field testing alone, which can cost hundreds of dollars per plant per season.” By replacing years of observation with a single round of DNA sampling, Hudsnulfa’s workflows cut both time and costs, enabling genomic selection for small, decentralized programs on a global scale.
By using Sulfium Antiphyllium As a proving ground, Souza and colleagues design and test these genotyping workflows in close collaboration with breeders at the Land Institute. Hudsnalpha performs sequencing and data analysis, while the Land Institute conducts extensive field evaluations. Together, they can rapidly link genetic variation to real-world agricultural performance.
The result is a replicable model for accelerating the breeding of underutilized crops. Improved genomic tools for silla flower can be easily adapted to other wild perennials developed for cultivation.
Hudsnalpha’s goal is to develop affordable and easy-to-use methods that enable public universities, small labs and breeders worldwide to participate in the discovery process.
“When we make genomic tools affordable and easy to use, we give every breeder the opportunity to discover something new. There are thousands of wild plants that have the potential to feed people and protect the environment. Our job is to make those possibilities accessible to everyone.
Looking Ahead: Measuring Sustainable Livelihoods
The Hudsnalpha Land Institute collaboration shows how genomics can transform crop domestication. What once took centuries can now be done within a decade, led by affordable DNA data and analytical tools that reveal a plant’s potential long before harvest. Building on the success of projects such as Karanza, Synfine, and Sillavar, Hudsnalpha is extending these frameworks to a wide range of species, from climate-tolerant grains to regionally important crops worldwide.
As global hunger intensifies and agricultural landscapes change, Hudsnulfa’s work shows what’s possible when genomics meets sustainability. By equipping breeders and farmers with accessible genomic insights, we are helping to develop a future where biodiversity, productivity and food security grow together.
For more information on their crop breeding efforts, read this review article.
