Wendel is one of five principal investigators with the Cotton Genome Center, a National Science Foundation-funded program headquartered at the University of California, Davis. Using new genomic information, he is tracing the evolutionary events that permitted the development of modern cotton. The information will be used in the search for key genes that control growth and development of cotton fiber. The golden age of biology is now, Wendel said. With all this new genomic information, I feel like I'm in a tropical forest, turning over rocks and discovering new beasts.
Every plant has a story.
Wendel also coordinates training programs for the center, so graduate students and postdoctoral fellows can learn more about plant genomics and bioinformatics. Wendel has traveled the world to study and collect cotton species. He discovered a new species in northwest Australia. Wendel teaches Botany 306, a plant taxonomy course. One hope is to enhance students' awareness of where food and fiber come from.