July 10, 2013
Lane Center Faculty and Ph.D. Student join team to help identify genes activated by ethylene
Tricks like ripening a green banana by placing it in a paper bag with an apple have been known for thousands of years, but two Lane Center researchers were part of the team that has just figured out why this works.
Assoc. Professor Ziv Bar-Joseph and his Ph.D. advisee Shan Zhong joined a team lead by investigators at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences to help identify thousands of genes that are activated by ethylene. The discovery may lead to powerful practical applications in agriculture, including the ability to slow growth when needed, accelerate or prevent ripening, retard rotting, or make plants more resistant to disease.