talking biotech

Talking Biotech: Shoppers may soon be able to buy pre-sliced, tastier and more nutritious pears

| February 20, 2017
HOST OVERVIEW
Kevin Folta: University of Florida plant geneticist Kevin Folta launched Talking Biotech in 2015.    More details

Finding a good pear can be a frustrating process, and represents a long-standing problem for the US pear industry, which has been stagnant for decades. Amit Dhingra, a horticultural genomicist from Washington State University, thinks the industry is ripe for innovation.

In this episode of Talking Biotech, Dhingra explains the roots of pear domestication, why we see so few varieties of pears, and efforts to improve the surprisingly nutritious fruit. (The pear has superior health benefits to apples, including higher fiber content and a lower glycemic index.) Dhingra is working with Washington farmers to develop pears that use less water, ripen more consistently, and have a longer shelf life. He believes reliably tasty pre-sliced pears could jumpstart the pear industry.

Follow Amit Dhingra @aamitdhingra

Follow the Talking Biotech Podcast @TalkingBiotech

Follow Kevin Folta on Twitter @kevinfolta | Facebook: Facebook.com/kmfolta/ | Lab website: Arabidopsisthaliana.com | All funding: Kevinfolta.com/transparency

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