One of the many places where CFAES students can work is the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center on the Columbus campus. The center is tasked with preserving crop plants’ genetic diversity.

Faculty and staff at the center work to conserve genetically diverse herbaceous plant germplasm—a plant’s hereditary material—and associated information, conduct germplasm-related research, and encourage the use of germplasm for research, crop improvement, and product development.  

OPGC workers strive to acquire, document, maintain, characterize and distribute herbaceous ornamental genetic resources and associated information for conservation, scientific research, and the floriculture and nursery industries.