UF professors map Earth’s species
UF biology professor Doug Soltis is in South Korea for a conference to show his latest research project.
For the past three years, he has been creating a "Tree of Life" map with professors at 10 other colleges.
The map’s first draft was published online last week and shows Earth’s 2.3 million named species and the connections between them, he said.
"If you were to ask scientists about the ‘Tree of Life’ 15 years ago, they would say it’s not possible," Soltis said.
The tree shows every relationship between different groups of species, like mammals, fish and amphibians, Soltis said. It also shows how species have evolved.
He said he thinks the biggest discovery from the research was finding out what scientists know about biodiversity as well as how much is still unknown.
He said the research is important because it can lead to medical discoveries. For example, if a new virus was found, scientists would be able to reference the tree’s DNA database to see how similar viruses act.
"Scientists can then develop new drugs from medicinal plants and their relatives," Soltis said.
This is the first time every known species has been put into one database, said UF biology professor Gordon Burleigh, who helped work on the project.
"Knowing about the history of organisms can tell us a lot about their future," he said.
Burleigh said he is proud UF has taken part in the research.
"It shows UF has some people involved in cutting-edge biological research," Burleigh said.
- Sara Perlman
UF faculty members research tastiest blueberries
UF researchers now know which blueberries you’ll enjoy the most.
UF horticulture science alumna Jessica Gilbert worked with others in the horticulture department to determine what traits make the tastiest blueberries.
They found people prefered blueberries with a balance of sugar and acid.
The researchers managed blueberry farms at UF and around Gainesville, which supplied the fruit that taste-testers tried, Gilbert wrote in an email.
The researchers wanted to determine what traits added to a blueberry could give Florida blueberry producers a competitive advantage, said horticulture science professor Jim Olmstead.
"Consumers primarily focus on flavor when considering blueberry purchases," Olmstead said. "Once we saw those results, flavor became a focus area, and this project was developed."
The research could change the way people buy blueberries in the future, Olmstead said.
If Florida has tastier blueberries, farmers here have a better chance at selling them.
UF environmental engineering freshman Georgia Hayes said she would like to try better berries.
"I love blueberries, but I don’t want to spend too much money on them," the 18-year-old said. "I try to find the balance between price and taste."
Gilbert said she doesn’t see price as an issue because these better-tasting blueberries, which are grown in conditions more suitable for taste, will be marked at premium prices for consumers interested in that breed.
They could be in grocery stores as soon as March or April.
"Scientists behind the scenes of your supermarket produce aisle are hard at work trying to develop fruits that exceed their expectations and delight the palette," Gilbert said.
- Meryl Kornfield
