For Toronto-born Jennifer Lin, 24, an interest in plant breeding began when she was a little girl and made a trip to the local grocery store.
“We bought some pumpkin seeds that day. So, I planted some seeds, waited to see them grow, watered them, and eventually they managed to actually grow in this little space that we had. I think that’s sort of where my interest really was sparked,” says the student of McGill University working on her master’s degree in plant science. She currently specializes in dry bean as part of Valerio Hoyos-Villegas’ dry bean breeding program.
“When Valerio reached out to me, I was immediately intrigued. I did some research on my own. I looked into what it meant to be a plant breeder. And I think I was just really motivated by how practical it was. As one of my professors put it, in plant breeding you’re essentially creating product,” Lin says.
At the moment, she’s working on two projects, the first using computer simulations to look at different breeding strategies and breeding populations. The second project is phenotyping white mould resistance in dry bean.
“This project is particularly impactful in that it will allow breeders and pathologists to address white mold resistance by providing them with a tool that will dissect the sources and extent of resistance in breeding lines of common bean,” says Hoyos-Villegas.
Seeing as Canada is No. 1 in the world for pulse exports, Lin hopes her work can serve to further strengthen the country’s performance in the global pulse race. As a former downhill ski instructor, the Toronto-born Lin isn’t afraid to put herself to the test in pursuit of her goals.
“Over 300 million people around the world depend on beans as a source of nutrients and energy, so I think that it’s a really important crop to work on and has a lot of potential for improving people’s lives,” she adds.
2021 Canadian Plant Breeding Innovation Scholarship Sponsors:
