ORNL Expertise Aids American Chestnut Revival

Scientists combine genomics and biochemical profiling to understand and improve disease resistance in the iconic American chestnut tree.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 9:46am

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Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory were part of a multi-institutional team that explored how modern scientific approaches such as genomics and biochemical profiling can be combined to understand and improve disease resistance in the iconic American chestnut tree. The American chestnut, once dominant in eastern forests, was decimated by the spread of two fungal pathogen species in the 1900s. The American Chestnut Foundation is sponsoring research to identify genes and strategies that can result in a successful hybrid with increased blight resistance while retaining the desired height and crown form of the American chestnut.

Why it matters

Restoration of the American chestnut to its native range in eastern hardwood forests would be a triumph of U.S. science and innovation. The American chestnut was once a vital part of the ecosystem, providing lumber, food for livestock and humans, and supporting a diverse array of wildlife. Bringing back this iconic tree could have significant ecological and economic benefits for the region.

The details

At ORNL, a team of scientists developed a detailed inventory of the different chemicals present in susceptible, resistant and hybrid chestnut trees. They discovered that disease-resistant chestnuts contained a high level of a certain class of chemical compounds such as triterpene sterols that reduced or stopped the fungus's growth. Understanding and harnessing these natural defenses is a major step toward restoring the American chestnut.

  • The American chestnut was decimated by the spread of two fungal pathogen species in the 1900s.
  • The American Chestnut Foundation is currently sponsoring research to identify genes and strategies to create a successful hybrid chestnut.

The players

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A U.S. Department of Energy science and energy laboratory that conducts research in various scientific disciplines, including plant-microbe interactions and biochemistry.

The American Chestnut Foundation

A non-profit organization based in Asheville, North Carolina, that is sponsoring research to restore the American chestnut tree to its native range in eastern hardwood forests.

Tim Tschaplinski

The lead of the ORNL research team and the section head for Biodesign and Systems Biology.

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What they’re saying

“Understanding and harnessing these natural defenses is a major step toward restoring a species that once defined eastern North American forests.”

— Tim Tschaplinski, Section head for Biodesign and Systems Biology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

What’s next

The thousands of progeny generated from previous and future breeding trials can be screened for the disease-resistant chemical compounds to identify the best candidate trees for further research and cross-breeding.

The takeaway

The collaboration between ORNL and other institutions to leverage modern scientific approaches like genomics and biochemical profiling represents a promising path forward for restoring the iconic American chestnut tree, which once played a vital role in the eastern U.S. ecosystem.