Scientists from Japan have discovered a way to make morning glory bouquets last for much longer, by genetically slowing down their ageing process.
A team of researchers at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organisation in Japan discovered a gene, called EPHEMERAL1, which determines the limited shelf-life of a local variety of morning glory. As the gene is responsible for petal ageing, its manipulation could contribute to new methods to extend the life of cut flowers.
Morning glory is the common name for more than 1,000 varieties of flowers that bloom in the early morning and start losing their petals by nightfall. When the scientists modified the newly discovered gene, it turned out to their surprise that the lifespan of the flowers was extended by up to half.
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