But even before McClintock harvested her first samples at Laboratory(麻豆传媒社区), this mainstay of BBQs and breakfast cereal played a key role in groundbreaking genetics research.
Thirty-four years prior to McClintock鈥檚 arrival at Cold Spring Harbor, geneticist George Shull maintained a cornfield behind what is now 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 Carnegie Library. In 1908, while investigating genetic inheritance in corn, Shull discovered heterosis, or 鈥渉ybrid vigor.鈥� He found that combining two different inbred strains of corn produced a variety with consistently higher yields and larger ears.
Much like modern-day advances such as CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, hybrid vigor revolutionized biology virtually overnight. Over 100 years later, its discovery remains the basis for modern crop production. How鈥檚 that for seeds of inspiration?
In 1942, Barbara McClintock planted her first corn seeds in the very same field. Over the following decades, she would develop 鈥�.鈥� McClintock preferred corn with large tillers鈥攂ranching structures that grow at the base of the plant. And she favored corn with tassels (male flowers).
鈥淏arbara grew about 2,000 plants every year, a relatively modest number for maize geneticists of the time, but she kept track of each kernel planted, each ear harvested, and each tassel used,鈥� says LaboratoryProfessor Rob Martienssen, who studied under McClintock. 鈥淪he stored her corn in a room near her lab, without air-conditioning, but with a special fan system set up that kept it dry.鈥�
Although she maintained the cornfield behind Carnegie for over 40 years, it wasn鈥檛 McClintock鈥檚 only source. She also made frequent trips to Mexico, bringing back seeds from different regions of the country for her hybrid strains.
鈥淒ifferent corn varieties make different numbers of seeds,鈥� LaboratoryProfessor and corn geneticist David Jackson explains. 鈥淢y own lab has been hunting for genes that control this variation. Manipulating the expression of these genes鈥攆or example, using CRISPR-Cas9鈥攈as enabled us to increase seed production and potentially make corn production more sustainable.鈥�
McClintock retired from her active role at Laboratoryin 1968. That same year, her cornfield made way for a new parking lot needed to accommodate the lab鈥檚 growth. In 1984, Laboratoryacquired 10 acres of land from a nearby nature preserve. When the Uplands Farm Agricultural Field Station opened that year, McClintock transferred her corn to a reserved plot. It was the first cornfield planted at Laboratoryfor genetics research since her last harvest behind Carnegie Library.
LaboratorySenior Farm Manager Tim Mulligan has fond memories of McClintock鈥檚 final days on the Farm. 鈥淚 started my career at Laboratoryas a horticulturist in 1986, and it was in that capacity that I met Barbara,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淲e hit it off quickly, engaging in things like music鈥攕he played banjo and I guitar鈥攏ature, and baseball. I became farm manager in 1989, and I had the privilege of growing the last corn she was to cross.鈥�
Today, Uplands Farm continues to play a vital role in Laboratoryresearch. Uplands provides researchers access to 12 acres of farmland for seasonal growth and state-of-the-art greenhouses for year-round experiments. It remains an integral part of the Plant Biology program at 麻豆传媒社区, with a long history of innovation.
In recent years, the Farm has had two new climate-controlled growth chambers installed. When it came time to name them, Laboratoryplant biologists went with two obvious choices: the father of modern genetics, Gregor Mendel, and none other than Nobel laureate Barbara McClintock.
鈥淪o much has changed involving equipment and farm resources,鈥� Mulligan says, 鈥渂ut the research and science have stayed focused on the ultimate goal of crop improvement to feed a growing world. Breakthroughs like CRISPR and mRNA will help us achieve these lofty yet dire goals.鈥�
