On the surface, it seems like an unlikely story. On one side, you have Christina Riddle, a non-traditional student who enrolled at The College of Idaho after a medical discharge from the U.S. Air Force. On the other side, you have Kelvin Sakyi, an international student from Ghana in western Africa.
Together, the pair teamed to earn recognition for their research on American Chestnut trees, a tree native to the eastern United States, at the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust College Science Research Conference.
The two gave a poster presentation titled “Investigating Genetic Diversity of the American Chestnut Planted in the Pacific Northwest.” The presentations took place in a large ballroom, with dozens of posters being presented at the same time. Yet Riddle and Sakyi noticed people seemed drawn to their poster.
“Initially, our plan was to divide the poster, where Christina would talk about the background and historical context and I’d go more into the methodology,” said Sakyi, a junior majoring in biomedical science. “But, at some point, we had so many people in front of us that we had to split (the group) and both had to criss-cross, trying to speak on everything.”
Sakyi felt people were drawn to the presentation specifically because the tree itself is uncommon in the region. People wanted to know why two students from The College of Idaho were presenting on a tree most commonly recognized in the Appalachian region of the country. In the end, the pair’s poster presentation was one of three recognized in the Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity category.
“It was a keystone species. It supported not only humans but much of the ecology and wildlife, from insects all the way up to bears,” said Riddle, who graduated in December with a degree in biology. “The American Chestnut was good for lumber and as a food source, but then the blight was introduced.”
The blight – a fungus – forever changed the tree, making it nearly impossible to grow.
“Our research project is aimed at investigating and characterizing the genetic diversity of American chestnut trees that were brought to the Pacific and Inland northwest during the mid-to late-1800s and the early 1900s to aid restoration efforts in the eastern North American native range,” explained Dr. Robert Laport, assistant professor of biology and director of the Harold M. Tucker Herbarium at the College. “In the early 1900s a pathogenic fungal blight was inadvertently introduced on nursery stock of Chinese chestnut brought to the New York City area.”
The result was the death of billions of American Chestnut trees, causing a significant disruption to the region’s ecosystem and leading to the “functional extinction” of the species as a major forest tree, along with the extinction of at least two types of insects that relied on the tree.
Some trees migrated west with people moving from the eastern U.S. and Canada from their native areas, so Laport says there are some trees found in places like Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia but they’re often individual trees in individual locations, making it a challenge to find specimens to conduct research on in the attempt to restore the tree. Sakyi and Riddle are working with Laport to identify genetic characteristics that could survive the blight.
“We could help save this tree,” said Riddle. “And potentially help restore those ecosystems.”
Despite graduating, Riddle continues to work on the research. And Sakyi, who plans to go into medical research after he completes his undergraduate education, will continue the ecological research during his time at the College.
“A lot of the techniques and things that you learn in research and the confidence you get from doing research, it’s the same. It’s one of those indirect paths that maybe didn’t make sense at the time, but here I am,” Sakyi explained of the benefits of being involved in the American Chestnut research. “We’re both in the lab and we’re both continuing the work.”
The College of Idaho has a 133-year-old legacy of excellence. The College is known for its outstanding academic programs, winning athletics tradition, and history of producing successful graduates, including eight Rhodes Scholars, three governors, and countless business leaders and innovators. Its distinctive PEAK Curriculum challenges students to attain competency in the four knowledge peaks of humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and a professional field—empowering them to earn a major and three minors in four years. The College’s close-knit, residential campus is located in Caldwell, where its proximity both to Boise and to the world-class outdoor activities of southwest Idaho’s mountains and rivers offers unique opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. For more information, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.