Biotech Updates

Why Some Petunias are Blue

January 8, 2014

An article in Cell Reports journal details the secret recipe to making blue petunias. According to the authors of the study, they have discovered a cellular pump that was previously unknown in plants. When the pump malfunctions, as it happens in some petunias, the flower petals can't acidify special compartments within their cells. This malady leads to blue petals instead of red or violet. The findings of the study may help explain and manipulate the color of other ornamental flowers, not to mention the taste of fruits and wine.

Read the scientific article at http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(13)00754-7.