James Schnable – SorghumJames Schnable, Nebraska Corn Presidential Chair and professor of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has earned the 2026 National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences. The National Academy of Sciences has awarded Husker plant geneticist James Schnable one of its highest honors for multiple advancements he has achieved in plant science. Many of his projects are part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Plant Science Innovation, known for its interdisciplinary work on advanced research in agricultural and food science. The expense of genetic data-crunching in plant science continues to fall. “In the last five years, the cost of measuring the RNA (genetic details) of each corn plant has gone from $200 to maybe $30,” Schnable said.