By: Sarah Sharman, PhD
Did you know that there are papayas growing in Huntsville, Alabama? What about an ancient relative of the sunflower once thought to be extinct? These are just some of the interesting plants that are growing in the Kathy L. Chan greenhouse on the campus of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.
The 14,000-square-foot facility houses dozens of plant species that HudsonAlpha researchers study. Hover over the images below to learn more about some of the plants currently growing in the greenhouse.
Uses: Food source, some medicinal uses because of their high antioxidant content
Fun Fact: Each little bump on a blackberry is actually a tiny fruit called a drupelet. So, a blackberry is a cluster of drupelets, making it a composite fruit.
Why is HudsonAlpha studying blackberries?
The offspring of many plants don’t look the same as either parent because the DNA has been shuffled and recombined in the new seed, similar to why we look different than our parents. But certain wild species of blackberries have the potential to clone themselves via their seed, a process called “apomixis.” Unlike normal seeds, which contain a mix of DNA from both parents, apomictic seeds are essentially clones of the parent plant. The Harkess lab is looking for the genes that control this special process so that they can be used to make plant breeding more efficient and productive.
Uses: Ornamental landscaping, erosion control, pollinator support, biofuel, potential medical uses
Fun Fact: Ancient silphium was so highly valued that it was depicted on gold coins. Ancient people used silphium for a variety of purposes, including as a spice, medicine, perfume, and even as a contraceptive.
Why is HudsonAlpha studying silphium?
Silphium is a perennial plant native to North America that is drought-tolerant and produces seeds with high-quality edible oil. An important feature of this oil is that it contains squalene. Squalene is used as a moisturizing agent in personal care products and as an adjuvant in vaccines. Scientists at HudsonAlpha are studying silphium because it can become a new crop with high-value oil and the added benefits for climate-smart agriculture.
Use: Food, animal feed, bioproducts, & biofuel
Fun Fact: Just like popcorn, sorghum can be popped and enjoyed as a tasty snack!
Why is HudsonAlpha studying sorghum?
Bioenergy sorghum is a key crop for sustainable biofuels and products. Scientists aim to make the plant more productive and resilient to harsh environmental conditions but they don’t know much about the inner workings of the plant’s cells. HudsonAlpha scientists are looking at gene expression in different tissues to help identify candidate genes to make better sorghum.
Uses: Human consumption, animal feed, biofuel
Fun Fact: Peanuts are actually legumes, not nuts. They grow underground, which is why they’re sometimes called “groundnuts.”
Why is HudsonAlpha studying peanuts?
Peanuts are a nutritional and economic lifeline for over a billion people worldwide, particularly in regions of Africa, Asia, and South America. However, they face growing threats from pests, diseases, and climate change. The Clevenger lab are harnessing genomics to safeguard this vital crop and unlock its full potential. A major goal of their work is to bring new genomics tools to peanut breeders around the globe.
Uses: Tea, herbal remedies, candles, soaps, ornamental landscaping
Fun Fact: The berries of the wax myrtle tree are the source of bayberry wax, which was once used to make fragrant candles.
Why is HudsonAlpha studying wax myrtle trees?
The roots of the wax myrtle tree contain nodules that house nitrogen-fixing bacteria, helping to improve soil fertility. By studying the relationship between the tree roots and the bacteria, the Harkess lab hopes to learn more about nitrogen fixation to apply to other plants.
Uses: Environmental benefits (soil improvement, erosion control), bioenergy, ornamental plants, fiber, animal feed
Fun Fact: Miscanthus can grow incredibly tall. Some species can reach heights of over 10 feet.
Why is HudsonAlpha studying Miscanthus?
Miscanthus is a perennial grass, meaning it grows back every year after its above-ground biomass is harvested. It has emerged as a promising crop for sustainable bioenergy production and other applications. By delving into the genetics of Miscanthus, scientists can unlock its full potential as a sustainable and versatile crop, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.
Uses: Food, important ingredient in the manufacture of shampoos and conditioners
Fun Fact: Papain, an enzyme extracted from papayas, is known to be an excellent meat tenderizer.
Why is HudsonAlpha studying papaya?
Papayas have three different sexes – males, females, and hermaphrodites – and the sex of papaya matters tremendously for food production. Male plants don’t make any papaya fruits. Female plants make fruits, but the fruits taste bad. Hermaphrodite plants make flowers with both male and female parts and typically make delicious papayas. When growers plant papaya seeds, it’s unknown which sex each plant is until ~9 months later when the flowers develop. The Harkess lab is studying the genes that control sex and sex determination in plants like papayas to increase food production and accelerate plant breeding.
Uses: A healthy food choice packed with antioxidants
Fun fact: Blueberries are one of the only naturally blue foods in the world. Their vibrant blue color comes from a powerful group of antioxidants called anthocyanins.
Why is HudsonAlpha studying blueberries?
HudsonAlpha is working with the University of Georgia’s blueberry breeding program to build a genomic tool called a pangenome, a collection of many blueberry genomic sequences. The pangenome will help the scientists identify the underlying genetics of important traits like flowering time and fruit quality for the University of Georgia’s particular breeding program. This work will provide resources not only to blueberry breeders but also to other breeders working on similar crops.
Uses: Beer production
Fun Fact: Hops are incredibly fast growers. They can grow up to a foot per day! That’s why they need tall structures to climb on.
Why is HudsonAlpha studying hops?
Hops grow in a limited geographical area, and their breeding is complicated by the fact that only female plants develop economically valuable hop cones. Scientists at HudsonAlpha are developing genomic resources to help identify genetic markers of sex determination, allowing breeders to identify the sex of plants earlier. The genomic tools will also allow breeders to identify genetic markers of other valuable traits like drought tolerance and pest resistance.
Uses: Gardening, cut flowers
Fun Fact: Dahlias were originally classified as vegetables! Because of their edible tubers, early botanists thought they were related to potatoes or Jerusalem artichokes.
Why is HudsonAlpha studying dahlias?
Dahlias are incredibly diverse. There are over 57,000 registered dahlia cultivars, each with its own unique characteristics, from tiny pom poms to dinner plate-sized blooms. The Harkess lab uses this immense diversity as a model for finding genes that control how flowers can be so variable, and since the genes that control flower development are often highly conserved across plants, we can use that information to understand how to improve crop breeding.
Do you want to visit the greenhouse and see these plants for yourself? Sign up for a greenhouse tour using the link below.
Photo credits: HudsonAlpha photo archives, Charity Goeckeritz (blackberry photo), Renan Souza (silphium photo), Jess Aközbek (wax myrtle photo), and Kendall Lee (blueberry photo).
