Once the Callery pear tree was landscapers' favorite – now states are banning this invasive species and urging homeowners to cut it down

They’re beautiful in bloom, but Callery pear trees crowd out native plants and turn productive open land into woody thickets.

Ryan W. McEwan, Professor of Biology, University of Dayton • conversation
March 8, 2023 • ~9 min

Cotton breeders are using genetic insights to make this global crop more sustainable

Plant breeding, informed by genetic analysis, could be critical to the future of one of the world’s oldest crops.

Serina Taluja, Ph.D. Candidate in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University • conversation
July 8, 2022 • ~9 min

What makes a fruit flavorful? Artificial intelligence can help optimize cultivars to match consumer preferences

Pinpointing the chemical compounds that make a fruit tasty to consumers can help producers breed for even more flavorful crops.

Harry J. Klee, Professor of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida • conversation
Feb. 10, 2022 • ~6 min

Modern tomatoes are very different from their wild ancestors – and we found missing links in their evolution

Through genetic detective work, scientists have identified missing links in the tomato’s evolution from a wild blueberry-sized fruit in South America to the larger modern tomato of today.

Ana Caicedo, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst • conversation
Jan. 30, 2020 • ~6 min

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