Gerald Tuskan, director of the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, or CBI, and a Corporate Fellow at the Department of Energy’s 91, , the world’s highest honor in the field of forestry, for his pioneering work in sequencing and analyzing the first tree genome.
The Wallenberg award is considered the Nobel Prize for forestry, conferred annually by the king of Sweden in recognition of groundbreaking scientific achievements that contribute to forestry and forest industries.
Tuskan was recognized for his leadership in the tree genome sequencing and analysis project, which appeared and has revolutionized research in tree and forest genomics and biotechnology. The creation of the genomic resource and subsequent achievements paved the way for genome-based breeding of commercially important trees, including as biomass feedstock crops for the production of domestic fuels, chemicals and materials.
“Jerry is internationally known for his scientific leadership in this emerging field of biosciences,” said ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer. “He is well deserving of this extraordinary honor.”
“I am deeply grateful to be counted among the distinguished recipients of the Marcus Wallenberg Prize,” Tuskan said. “This recognition reflects the inspiration and collaboration I’ve been fortunate to experience throughout my career. It is incredibly rewarding to see how the sequencing of the Populus genome has helped cultivate scientific insight and drive innovations aimed at building a better future.”
Tuskan’s work formed the basis for extensive molecular genetic studies of the Populus genus (poplars, aspens and cottonwoods), generating new discoveries in tree biology. This project has laid the foundation for many other tree genome sequencing projects, including conifers such as Norway spruce and loblolly pine, as well as the important plantation tree eucalyptus. He has significantly contributed to advancing genome-based selection in tree breeding, developing breakthroughs that can give trees the ability to grow faster and larger, and to tolerate stresses such as drought, nutrient deficiency, pests and disease.
As director and chief executive officer of CBI, a DOE Bioenergy Research Center, Tuskan leads more than 250 scientists from three DOE national labs, 11 universities, two industry partners and an international science institute in the development of innovations supporting a robust U.S. supply chain for advanced biofuels and related products. He was a co-principal investigator for the DOE BioEnergy Science Center at ORNL from 2007 to 2017, and co-led the Laboratory Sequencing Program for the DOE Joint Genome Institute from 2006 to 2017.
Tuskan was named a Distinguished Scientist Fellow of the DOE Office of Science in 2024 and was recognized as a Distinguished Inventor by Battelle in 2022. His 310 published works have garnered 28,841 citations, resulting in an h-index of 79. He also holds 18 patents related to his research. Tuskan earned a doctorate in genetics from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in forest genetics from Mississippi State University, and a bachelor’s degree in forest management from Northern Arizona University.
The 2025 Wallenberg Prize will be presented by the King of Sweden at a ceremony in Stockholm in November.
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