Allison Snow, professor, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, is one of six scientists from across the country recently appointed to the USDA National Genetic Resources Advisory Council (NGRAC). Members were appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve 4-year terms.

Snow said, "I was selected in part because of my expertise in risk assessment, pollination ecology, and gene flow from genetically-engineered crops via the dispersal of pollen and seeds—the committee is charged with preventing gene flow into collections of non-GM crops that are used for research and breeding."

The Council will recommend actions and policies for collecting, maintaining, and utilizing genetic resources for food and agriculture; for coordinating the genetic resources plans of several domestic and international organizations; and will advise the Secretary of Agriculture and the National Genetic Resources Program Director of new and innovative approaches to genetic resources conservation.

The members' suggestions and ideas will help USDA tailor its programs to support the purity of non-GE genetics, from germplasm to commercial use; improve stewardship practices, and develop new tools to lessen the risk of gene flow in agricultural commodities.

Snow studies microevolutionary processes in plant populations, with an emphasis on breeding systems, pollination ecology, and conservation biology; she frequently works with federal agencies on risk assessment and policy issues regarding transgenic crops, and has served on several international advisory panels.

Snow and her graduate students work on a variety of basic questions, many of which deal with how specific transgenic reproductive traits affect fitness components in the field.

Most recently, Snow's research focuses on the applied question of how gene flow from cultivated species affects the evolutionary ecology of weedy relatives; such as switchgrass, sunflower, squash, radish, rice, sorghum, and oilseed rape.

"We combine studies of introgression and hybrid fitness with ecological studies of how genetically engineered traits such as insect resistance influence the fecundity, abundance, and distribution of weedy species," Snow said.

"The overall goal of this research is to determine whether crop-to-wild gene flow can lead to rapid evolution in weeds, perhaps allowing them to become more invasive due to beneficial traits from the crop."

Snow's research findings have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals; she has been elected to top positions in her national professional organizations; and has received many honors and awards, including Scientific American's citation of Snow as one of 50 national leaders in science and technology, and a University Distinguished Scholar award from Ohio State.