This week the New Yorker had an article on the history of apples and the University of Minnesota apple breeding program.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/11/21/111121fa_fact_seabrook
Minnesota's newest apple, the SweeTango, is a cross between the Honeycrisp and Zestar varieties, both of which were also developed in Minnesota. The article points out that until the last twenty years or so, there were only a few types of apples available at supermarkets--Red Delicious and McIntosh and not much else. Minnesota turns out to be an apple breeding leader and is one of the institutions responsible for the explosion of new delicious apples available. The apple breeding process reminded me of high-throughput drug screening. Breeders start out with two decent apples, but the offspring from the mating can be dramatically different from the parents. So thousands of offspring are tested, and there's one guy (David Bedford), who tastes them all (500-600 apples per day). I have now discovered what I'm going to do with my life if MD-PhD doesn't work out.
In other, much less exciting news, I have completed the neurology sequence of second year med school, which is supposed to be one of the most challenging. It was three weeks of stroke, multiple sclerosis, infections, epilepsy, sleep, migraines, neurodegenerative disorders, neuropathies, muscular dystrophy, eye and ear disorders. All of it was very interesting, although the ear has got to be one of the most amazing organs:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/11/21/111121fa_fact_seabrook
Minnesota's newest apple, the SweeTango, is a cross between the Honeycrisp and Zestar varieties, both of which were also developed in Minnesota. The article points out that until the last twenty years or so, there were only a few types of apples available at supermarkets--Red Delicious and McIntosh and not much else. Minnesota turns out to be an apple breeding leader and is one of the institutions responsible for the explosion of new delicious apples available. The apple breeding process reminded me of high-throughput drug screening. Breeders start out with two decent apples, but the offspring from the mating can be dramatically different from the parents. So thousands of offspring are tested, and there's one guy (David Bedford), who tastes them all (500-600 apples per day). I have now discovered what I'm going to do with my life if MD-PhD doesn't work out.
In other, much less exciting news, I have completed the neurology sequence of second year med school, which is supposed to be one of the most challenging. It was three weeks of stroke, multiple sclerosis, infections, epilepsy, sleep, migraines, neurodegenerative disorders, neuropathies, muscular dystrophy, eye and ear disorders. All of it was very interesting, although the ear has got to be one of the most amazing organs:
