Virginia Tech tracks fluorescent GE switchgrass pollen from field to sky

Plant biologists and engineers at Virginia Tech established a method to track, measure, and forecast pollen dispersal from genetically engineered switchgrass at ground and atmospheric levels, phys.org reported on a study in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. Researchers engineered switchgrass to produce an orange fluorescent protein in its pollen so it could be distinguished from natural pollen. Drones with air sampling devices drew airborne particles into liquid solution over the crop, combined with ground-based sampling, high-resolution wind measurements, and atmospheric dispersal simulations. First author Manu Nimmala said it was the first study to bring those elements together in one experiment to connect measured pollen concentrations with release from the source field. Professor David G. Schmale III said the atmosphere is one of the least-sampled ecosystems and that better pollen movement data can improve management of gene flow between neighboring plants, protect seed production systems, and help forecast airborne allergens. The paper is listed as From field to sky: measurement and modeling of transgenic switchgrass pollen dispersal in the atmosphere, DOI: 10.1007/s10661-026-15632-3.