2016 - Volume #BFS, Issue #16, Page #88
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Plant Geneticist Makes Carrot Earrings
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“I’m a big a fan of vegetable jewelry. People are normally shocked to find out my earrings are carrots,” laughs the University of Wisconsin-Madison postdoctoral researcher in plant genetics. “My research is understanding the genetics behind the pigment in carrots so it’s directly related.”
As she sliced colorful carrots from around the world, she saw the beauty of the bulls-eye patterns in reds, yellows, oranges and purples. Her original idea was to make cross-sectional slices, dry them and make Christmas ornaments.
“I slice them between 1/8 and 1/4 in. thick in diameters from 1/2 to 3 in. I like big, flashy earrings,” she says. “I have an industrial dryer to dry them. Then I paint them with an acrylic lacquer to keep the moisture out and help the pigment last longer. They are virtually weightless.”
“It’s a good way to talk about my research in a more fun environment,” Ellison says. “Once we identify the genes controlling important pigments, we can make improvements such as increasing the nutritional benefits. That’s the goal of the research.”
Carrots were previously yellow, she notes, but then a naturally occurring mutation caused them to accumulate beta-carotene and turn orange, which some growers preferred. Orange carrots are also nutritionally better as they are high in carotenoids that the body converts into Vitamin A. Purple carrots are high in anthocyanins, which are a good source of antioxidants.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Shelby Ellison, slrepinski@gmail.com).
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