06/21/2013

Vegetables Respond to a Daily Clock, Even After Harvest

9:53 minutes

Vegetables plucked from grocery store shelves can be made to respond to patterns of light and darkness, according to a report in the journal Current Biology. Janet Braam and colleagues found that cabbages change their levels of phytonutrients throughout a daily cycle.

Segment Guests

Janet Braam

Janet Braam is chair and professor of biochemistry and cell biology at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Meet the Producer

About Charles Bergquist

As Science Friday’s director and senior producer, Charles Bergquist channels the chaos of a live production studio into something sounding like a radio program. Favorite topics include planetary sciences, chemistry, materials, and shiny things with blinking lights.