The new award builds directly on a $30 million Bezos Earth Fund grant awarded in 2020, which helped launch the first phase of Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative. That initial investment enabled Salk scientists to identify 347 potential gene candidates linked to carbon-storing root traits and to advance 37 separate projects spanning genes and crops. With that foundational catalog in hand, researchers can now prioritize the most promising genetic modifications and evaluate how they perform outside the controlled environment of the greenhouse. The latest grant brings the Bezos Earth Fund’s total support for the institute to $48 million, a level of sustained investment that reflects growing confidence in the idea that agriculture itself can become a carbon removal technology.

Wolfgang Busch, professor and director of the Harnessing Plants Initiative, emphasized that the transition from lab to field depends on understanding how plants behave in complex environments. “We are deeply grateful to the Bezos Earth Fund for their partnership and vision,” Busch said. “Harnessing the power of plants to address global challenges begins with foundational science and understanding how plants interact with soil, microbes, and environmental stresses. This support allows us to uncover how roots grow and function in complex environments and swiftly translate those discoveries into solutions that benefit farmers, ecosystems, and communities around the world.” His framing captures the central technical challenge of the project: a root trait that looks spectacular in a growth chamber may fail entirely when it encounters compacted soil, variable moisture, and competing microbial communities.

Roots are among the most overlooked components of the food system, yet they play an outsized role in both plant health and the global carbon cycle. Deeper roots can push carbon below the layer of soil most frequently disturbed by plowing and tilling, where it is far less likely to be released back into the atmosphere. Larger root systems deposit more plant material underground, feeding organic matter into soil profiles that can persist for decades or centuries. Perhaps most importantly, roots rich in suberin, a natural cork-like compound, can help carbon remain in soil longer because suberin decomposes slowly, acting as a molecular shield around the carbon-rich tissues it permeates. Together with beneficial soil microbes, particularly fungi that form intimate partnerships with plant roots, these traits can transform farmland from a carbon source into a carbon sink while making soils healthier and more resilient.

For the Bezos Earth Fund, the ultimate measure of success is whether the technology works for the people who grow the world’s food. “The Bezos Earth Fund looks for innovations that can change the equation for people and the planet,” said Andy Jarvis, director of Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund. “ROOTS is a golden opportunity to develop the next generation of crops, plants that are productive and resilient for farmers and able to draw carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the soil. That is the kind of solution agriculture needs.” The funder’s emphasis on farmer utility underscores a recurring failure mode in climate-focused crop research: varieties engineered for carbon storage that sacrifice yield, or resilience traits that only perform under laboratory conditions, simply will not be adopted at the scale needed to matter.

Central to the project’s speed is RootGPT, a planned open-access artificial intelligence platform designed by Salk scientists to accelerate the identification of useful root traits. The system will analyze the institute’s accumulated data on plant genes, root characteristics, soil carbon dynamics, and plant-fungus relationships, then suggest promising genetic changes for scientists to test in the lab, greenhouse, and field. Crucially, the results of those experiments will feed back into the platform, allowing its predictions to improve iteratively with each round of testing. The goal is to compress the timeline for identifying which root traits actually matter and moving them into crop varieties that agricultural partners can evaluate, replacing years of trial-and-error screening with a data-driven design loop.

Measuring whether deeper and stronger roots genuinely increase durable soil carbon is the scientific heart of ROOTS. Salk will conduct laboratory, greenhouse, and field studies tracking how root size, root depth, suberin content, and plant-fungus partnerships affect carbon storage over time. The project will extend an ongoing field study in Illinois and add new Midwest field trials to test whether Salk Ideal Soybean varieties can store more carbon than conventional varieties across multiple growing seasons. Multi-year trials are essential because soil carbon measurements are notoriously variable from season to season, and only sustained observation can distinguish genuine, durable sequestration from short-term fluctuations in organic matter.

The modeling behind the project is ambitious. Salk’s estimates suggest that enhanced root traits could add one to two metric tons of carbon dioxide removal per hectare per year if they perform as expected in field conditions, equivalent to roughly 0.45 to 0.89 US tons per acre annually. ROOTS is explicitly designed to test that potential and strengthen the evidence base for long-term soil carbon storage, converting a theoretical projection into measured field data. Beyond carbon, the project will evaluate whether deeper-rooted soybean lines can better tolerate drought and disease, comparing engineered lines under both stress and normal conditions while simultaneously tracking soil health and carbon storage. The team will search for trait combinations that support strong agronomic performance while moving more carbon underground, recognizing that climate-focused crops will only scale if they deliver value in farmers’ fields.

Translation from research to commercial agriculture will continue through Cquesta, a spinout company created to move Salk Ideal Plant traits from the institute’s laboratories into crop varieties that can be tested and, if successful, scaled. “Scientific discovery is the first step, but getting improved crops into farmers’ fields requires strong partnerships between research institutions and the agricultural sector,” said Andrew Baum, CEO of Cquesta. “We’re excited to continue working with Salk to translate these breakthroughs into crop varieties that strengthen agricultural resilience while bringing the benefits of advanced root traits to farms in the US and around the world.” The partnership model reflects a growing recognition that academic breakthroughs in plant genetics rarely reach farmers without dedicated commercialization pathways.

Soybean is the first target crop for practical reasons as much as scientific ones: it is widely grown across millions of hectares, well characterized genetically, and well suited for testing both carbon and resilience traits. The same root trait strategies developed in soybean could later be applied to other staple crops, including maize, rice, and wheat, multiplying the potential climate impact across the global food system. If ROOTS succeeds, farmers could one day plant soybean varieties bred to handle stress aboveground while quietly storing more carbon belowground, turning every growing season into an opportunity for climate repair. The project represents a test of one of the most compelling ideas in modern agricultural science: that the humble root, hidden beneath every field, can be reengineered to help stabilize the planet’s climate while feeding its people.

Subject of Research: Field testing of deeper-rooted, carbon-storing soybean crops enhanced through AI-driven root trait research

Article Title: Salk Institute moves deeper-rooted crop research from lab discovery to field testing

Article References: Salk Institute moves deeper-rooted crop research from lab discovery to field testing. (n.d.). Original publication

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: Not provided

Keywords: Salk Institute, Bezos Earth Fund, ROOTS project, Harnessing Plants Initiative, soybean, soil carbon, suberin, RootGPT, carbon sequestration, drought resilience, plant-microbe interactions, Cquesta

The Bezos Earth Fund has announced a $2 million grant to the University California, Davis, the American Heart Association and other partners to advance “Swap it Smart” as part of its AI for Climate & Nature Grand Challenge. The funding will support research that could help redesign foods, for example optimizing for flavor profile, nutritional properties and lower costs and environmental impact.  

Swap it Smart is an AI-powered recipe formulation tool in development by scientists at the UC Davis in collaboration with the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI), an entity of RF Catalytic Capital co-managed by the American Heart Association and Alliance of Bioversity CIAT and developed by The Rockefeller Foundation. The PTFI provides standardized tools, data and training to map food quality of the world’s edible biodiversity for improved human and planetary health. 

“We’re not just teaching AI to understand food, we’re asking it to reimagine what food can be,” said co-principal investigator Ilias Tagkopoulos, professor of computer science at UC Davis and director of the USDA AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS). “Can we harness the power of AI and computational science to design foods that actively promote human and planetary health, without sacrificing taste or affordability?” 

The Swap it Smart team will work to advance research that may one day enable food scientists to replace resource-intensive ingredients in food formulations with sustainable alternatives that deliver the same nutrition and sensory experience. 

“By integrating deep phenotyping, molecular data, and generative intelligence, we can create better meals and consumer products for our schools, our hospitals and everyday lives,” Tagkopoulos said. 

“Our mission is to create a tool that could be used by anyone from farmers and commercial kitchens to home cooks to develop new foods,” said co-principal investigator Justin Siegel, professor in the UC Davis departments of chemistry and of biochemistry and molecular medicine and faculty director of the Innovation Institute for Food and Health (IIFH). 

Core to Swap it Smart is the PTFI’s vast and first-of-a kind data infrastructure on the exact chemical composition of thousands of biodiverse foods based on standardized multi-omics tools. 

“By combining PTFI’s molecular food composition data, AI and human capacity, we can unlock the intelligence of food itself to design meals and products that nourish people and sustain the planet, working alongside school meals programs, food enterprises and chefs to bring these innovations to the table,” said Selena Ahmed, principal investigator of the Bezos Earth Fund award and executive director of the PTFI. 

New ingredients and combinations

Through this effort, researchers will collaborate with practitioners to pull out new combinations or obscure ingredients and create new foods or healthier, more sustainable substitutes. 

The PTFI’s continually evolving data set currently includes over 400,000 proteins from 500 commonly consumed foods along with 27,000 bioactives and other small molecules. UC Davis is the North American Center of Excellence of the PTFI, focusing on deep molecular characterization of these proteins and their known or potential effects on human health, as well as fiber, fats, minerals, phytochemicals and other key small molecules (metabolites) present in foods.  

“With support from the Bezos Earth Fund, we will be able to better translate the science from the Periodic Table of Food Initiative into real world tools, using data to formulate meals that nourish people and planet,” said John de la Parra, Director, Food at The Rockefeller Foundation. 

Swap it Smart will include data on five sustainability pillars: environment, nutrition, health, socioeconomic factors and sensory quality. These five datasets then need to be organized so that the data can be used by AI systems to make predictions and generate new solutions.  

In addition to PTFI, AIFS and IIFH, other partners include PIPA, a company founded by Tagkopoulos in 2015 that leverages AI to accelerate discovery in food and health, and Verso Biosciences, both based in Davis, California. 

“Working on the interface of AI, nutrition, and health for more than ten years, we’re excited to contribute our ingredient and formulation AI expertise to the development of Swap it Smart. This tool has real potential to create sustainable food concepts, and we’re committed to supporting its successful launch,” said Christos Stamelos, Chief Technology Officer of PIPA.

Funder

Bezos Earth Fund

Amphibians have been experiencing an unprecedented crisis, with a steady increase in species extinction rates over the past few decades. These remarkable creatures, which include frogs, toads, and salamanders, are increasingly threatened due to a combination of climate change, pollution, and disease. The chytrid fungus, in particular, has emerged as a significant factor in the decline of amphibian species, impacting populations across various ecosystems. TARI aims to address these challenges with its multi-faceted approach, underscoring the urgency of the conservation effort.

The initiative’s primary objective is the establishment of safety-net populations of endangered frog species, particularly those at risk of extinction due to the chytrid fungus. The collaboration involves various conservation organizations, such as the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, which is a partnership between the Smithsonian, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and Zoo New England. By pooling together resources, expertise, and innovative strategies, the partners hope to create a robust conservation framework that will mitigate the threats faced by vulnerable amphibian populations.

One of the unique aspects of TARI is its commitment to fostering international collaboration in amphibian conservation. This effort marks a historic moment, as it represents the first coordinated international initiative to halt amphibian extinctions in the Neotropics, an area that is home to nearly half of the world’s amphibian biodiversity. The engagement of multiple organizations across different countries ensures that conservation actions are not only regionally significant but also synergistic in nature, enhancing the overall impact on amphibian conservation.

Gina Della Togna, the Executive Director of ASA, highlighted the significance of this initiative, emphasizing the power of collaboration in addressing a pressing environmental issue. With 48% of the world’s amphibian diversity concentrated in the Neotropics, the need for coordinated efforts has never been more crucial. This initiative serves as a model for how various stakeholders can come together to support the conservation of endangered species and creates awareness of the critical role amphibians play in maintaining ecological balance.

Furthermore, the grant from the Bezos Earth Fund catalyzes efforts to conserve landscapes with the highest amphibian biodiversity. It will allow the development of cutting-edge scientific methodologies to enhance recovery rates in impacted populations. This includes rewilding programs, where native frogs raised in captivity are gradually reintroduced into their natural habitats while ensuring that these environments are conducive to their survival.

An essential facet of TARI also involves engaging with local communities and stakeholders in each country involved in the project. Recognizing the importance of grassroots participation, the initiative plans to update National Amphibian Action Plans, aligning them with international biodiversity targets while involving community members. This approach not only empowers locals but also raises awareness about the importance of amphibians, facilitating better conservation practices at the community level.

In terms of genetic conservation, TARI aims to establish a regional Amphibian Biobank to preserve the genetic diversity of at least 25 critically endangered frog species. This biobank will play a pivotal role in bolstering the genetic health of captive populations, thereby enhancing the chances of their successful reintroduction into the wild. Coupled with training workshops focused on small-population management, this initiative aims to equip local conservationists with the skills needed to manage amphibian species effectively.

The project’s overarching goal is to achieve a 15% increase in the captive populations of the region’s most endangered species over the next five years. This ambitious target reflects the commitment to not just preserving genetic material but actively working towards revitalizing populations facing imminent threats. By focusing on strengthening captive breeding programs, TARI seeks to ensure that these species are not only maintained in captivity but also equipped for potential rewilding efforts that can contribute to restoring natural populations.

The collaboration fosters the sharing of expertise and best practices among conservation groups, which is essential in a field where knowledge transfer can significantly improve outcomes. By establishing robust networks among organizations, TARI aims to enhance regional capacity for amphibian conservation, harnessing the power of science and community engagement to address challenges effectively.

Additionally, the initiative seeks to provide educational outreach, engaging over 1,000 students annually through seminars and programs aimed at increasing awareness about amphibians and the pressing challenges they face. This educational component is vital, as it helps nurture a new generation of conservationists who will be integral in shaping the future of biodiversity conservation. By instilling a sense of responsibility and awareness, TARI hopes to empower communities to take an active role in preserving their native amphibian species.

As conservation scientists continue to unravel the complexities surrounding amphibian decline, this collaboration underscores the importance of collective action in addressing biodiversity crises. With innovative strategies and a commitment to research-driven solutions, TARI embodies the spirit of resilience in confronting significant environmental threats. The concerted effort also highlights the significant role that funding from philanthropic organizations, such as the Bezos Earth Fund, plays in catalyzing conservation initiatives and providing vital resources for impactful, long-term changes in biodiversity policy and practice.

As we look to the future, TARI exemplifies how strategic partnerships can lead to tangible actions that not only conserve amphibian populations but also contribute to the overall health of ecosystems. Ensuring the survival of amphibians is not merely about saving individual species but preserving the intricate web of life in which they play a critical role. By taking decisive actions today, TARI is paving the way for a more sustainable future where amphibians can thrive, ultimately benefiting the biodiversity that sustains life on our planet.

Subject of Research: Tropical Amphibian Conservation
Article Title: Tropical Amphibian Resilience Initiative Launched with $2 Million Grant
News Publication Date: March 20, 2025
Web References: None
References: None
Image Credits: Brian Gratwicke, NZCBI – National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Keywords: Amphibian conservation, Tropical Amphibian Resilience Initiative, biodiversity, Bezos Earth Fund, chytrid fungus, Latin America, partnership, genetic diversity, community engagement, ecological balance.