Seeds of Discovery

Eduard Akhunov recognized for groundbreaking contributions to global food security

By Chevy-Lynn Vaske

Photos Dan Donnert

Eduard Akhunov, a distinguished professor of plant pathology at Kansas State University, has been named a 2024 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most prestigious honors in the scientific community.

The award recognizes Akhunov’s significant contributions to wheat genetics, including his team’s development of advanced breeding technologies that enhance crop resilience, disease resistance and yield potential.

“This recognition is truly about the collective efforts of our entire team,” Akhunov said. “We’ve been committed to understanding wheat genetics and developing tools that can improve crop production worldwide.”

Akhunov leads research at K-State’s Wheat Genetics Resource Center, which houses nearly 4,000 specimens from 38 wild wheat species. His team uses tools such as genomics, bioinformatics and digital imaging to uncover genetic traits that improve grain quality and resistance to drought, heat stress and pathogens.

“One of the most significant impacts our team made was developing new resources and tools for studying and characterizing genetic diversity in wheat,” he said.

Akhunov’s interest in plant breeding began during his college years and has since evolved into a lifelong pursuit of agricultural innovation.

“I became interested in how humans domesticated wild crops into things like wheat, and that became the main reason our civilization exists,” he said. “My interest evolved over time, from curiosity about the foundation of civilization to what we are doing now with pre-breeding and wheat improvement.”

Since arriving at K-State, Akhunov has advised more than two dozen graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. He has led nearly $40 million in externally funded research supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the National Science Foundation, the Kansas Wheat Commission and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

While Akhunov has received numerous honors throughout his career, he said being named an AAAS Fellow wasn’t something he sought.

“It is great that our peers are seeing the contribution our group is making within genetics and breeding,” he said. “I didn’t set out to achieve this goal. We do the work because we want to make an impact.”

For Akhunov, the recognition marks a milestone, but not an endpoint.

“This award is a reflection of the progress we’ve made, and there is still more to discover,” he said.

Akhunov’s work has earned widespread recognition, with more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, multiple book chapters, a patent and more than 100 invited presentations around the world.