Corn bread, corn chowder, corn dogs, corn ethanol, corn fritters, corn starch, corn syrup, popcorn. Today, corn products are everywhere. But did you ever wonder where corn came from? Geographically, corn often comes from the United States. Our country produces about one-third of the world鈥檚 supply. But what about genetically?
黑料吃瓜资源 (CSHL) plant geneticists like Professor David Jackson have dug into the ancestral roots of corn. If we can figure out how corn got where it is today, then maybe we can make our country鈥檚 number-one crop even more abundant. With gene-editing tools like CRISPR, we may even be able to create perennial corn. This could help feed the increasing global population.
On July 27, Jackson delved into corn鈥檚 鈥渟hucking鈥� origins during the second installment of CSHL鈥檚 Cocktails & Chromosomes. The event at bar in Huntington, NY, also featured a corn-forward drink special, the Maize Runner. And one lucky attendee walked away with two free tickets to Tony Award-winning Broadway musical .
Watch Jackson鈥檚 鈥渁-maizing鈥� Cocktails & Chromosomes presentation above. Then, register for the August 31 installment with CSHL Associate Professor Ullas Pedmale.