Welcome to the SBC

The mission of the Seed Biotechnology Center (SBC) is to mobilize the research, educational and outreach resources of UC Davis in partnership with the Seed and Biotechnology Industries to facilitate discovery and commercialization of new seed technologies for agricultural and consumer benefit.

Featured Courses

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Seed Biology, Quality & Pathology
Sept 16-18, 2026 at UC Davis
Registration Now Open

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Leadership Program for Plant Breeders & Scientists
Nov 17-19, 2026 at UC Davis
Registration Now Open

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Seed Business 101: Vegetables
Nov 30 - Dec 4, 2026 at UC Davis
Registration Now Open

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Seed Production
February 22-25, 2027 at UC Davis
Registration Now Open

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European PBA Class IX
Class Begins March 2027
Application Now Open!

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News and Updates

Outliers Matter: Bradford Shifts Data From Statistical ‘Noise’ to Biological Mechanism

 

Kent Bradford is offering a new way of looking at biological data that, he says, “radically alters what we can see.” 

Traditionally, scientists see things in terms of averages to understand the behavior of plants, cells, molecules – all kinds of things. But now, the UC Davis distinguished professor emeritus argues, new technologies allow us to see data points as individuals and take a closer look at the statistical outliers. Usually dismissed as “noise” and “error,” they in fact offer a goldmine of new insights about how things respond to a stimulus.