Plants and Pipettes

Water hyacinth became a global aquatic pest, prompting a 1910 proposal to import hippopotamuses into America.

The hosts catch up and introduce the podcast about plant molecular research.

["Parsley can become toxic in its second year, with apiol and myristicin named as the compounds behind the warning, and the hosts say it was listed as poisonous plant of the year for 2023.", "A San Diego experiment on white sage, black sage, and phacelia found honeybee-pollinated seeds were poorer quality than seeds from other pollinators or manual cross-pollination, while honeybees spent about twice as long on a single plant as other insects.", "The episode then turns to a Science paper on CRISPR multiplexing in trees, where machine learning helped design three-gene strategies that reduced lignin within six months.", "Later, the hosts cover a 70-institution seed-masting study, a Trends Eco Evo comparison between ChatGPT and the New Phytologist 100-question paper, and a wood wide web meta-analysis discussed through Earth to Human."]

["Plants and Puppets opens with manta rays, Crown-of-Thorns sea stars, and sea urchin culling as examples of underwater predation and reef damage, then warns that 20-degree water can trigger cold shock and make breathing difficult.", "Jerem and Yaron move into natural dyeing with Indigofera tinctoria, shibori, avocado-skin dye, reduced indigo, oxidation, pH, and fabric chemistry across silk, wool, linen, and cotton.", "A safflower segment on Carthamus tinctorius links yellow and red dyes to silk versus cotton behavior and traces 'red tape' to Charles V's red-string dossiers.", "The back half covers eDNA air filters, 'human genetic bycatch,' and Rose A.

["A V-type H+-ATPase in diatoms may explain a carbon-concentrating mechanism tied to a large share of Earth\u2019s oxygen output.", "Tegan and Joram open with Taskmaster banter, then Joram describes a free 3.5-meter pool that came with chlorine tablets, filter sand, and 12-degree water.", "Tegan\u2019s side trips include the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, Chelsea in Bloom in London, and Agapanthus blackjack as the year\u2019s plant pick with purple-black flowers.", "The science segment moves through Daniel Yee\u2019s Current Biology paper on diatoms, a 2019 tree-ring mortality study, touch sensing in pavement cells, and amaranth\u2019s extra-chromosomal circular DNA."]

The hosts celebrate winning a science communication award at a molecular biology of plants conference and discuss their podcast's focus on plant research.

Tegan and Joram interview DIY scientist Kat Austin about her paper on microplastics and plants.

Tegan and Joram discuss plant science and a tangential connection to Wuthering Heights.