In
the wild, more flowers mean more seeds, more fruit, and more food. It’s no
wonder we think flowers are so pretty and awesome. Zach Lippman thinks flowers—and the
genetics that control the timing of flowering—may hold the key to bigger and better bumper crops.
A
tomato-loving biologist who cultivates 80 tomato varieties in greenhouses at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Dr. Lippman studies the genes and hormones that regulate flower production with the goal
of growing more (and tastier) food for a hungry world. Combining old-school
plant-breeding with the latest genetic discoveries and a little sleuthing, Dr. Lippman
recently pinpointed a naturally mutated gene in a varietal that—when crossed with a normal tomato plant—produces sweeter tomatoes and 60 percent higher yield. That’s a whole lotta bruschetta….
Before & After
--Groove to fruity
and delicious tunes
--Dip your beak into our lycopene-spiked cocktail of the night, the Garden of Earthly Delights
--Stick around for the sweet and fleshy Q&A
This petal-pushing edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday,
July 16 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. Brooklyn . Subway: F or G to 4th Ave.
Doors open at 7:30 pm.
Please bring ID: 21+. No cover.
Photo courtesy of the New York Times
Photo courtesy of the New York Times
