Mission

To Advance, communicate, and leverage pioneering discoveries in plant sciences to develop sustainable and resilient agriculture, improve food security, protect the environment, and enhance human health. The Boyce Thompson Institute strives to be a world leader in plant science research. Founded by William Boyce Thompson in 1923 out of a conviction that "any principles concerning the nature of life that you can establish for plants will help you understand man, in health and disease." He also saw plant science as a means of ending hunger, thus ultimately promoting democracy and political stability. BTI works toward a world in which nutritious food is in abundance, the environment is secure, and people live fuller, healthier lives. This vision can be realized in part through the study of plants for the benefit of people and the environment, with particular emphasis on plant development, molecular interactions between plants and microbes, and molecular and chemical ecology.