Biology Applications in Agriculture

The speaker, a computational biologist, shares her journey from a college basketball player to a scientist working to solve food insecurity in Africa. She highlights the challenges faced by cassava farmers due to pests and pathogens and introduces Tree Lab, a portable DNA sequencing solution that provides rapid results to farmers. The project has significantly improved food security and income for farmers, demonstrating the power of diversity and inclusion in science.

What are the two main reasons the speaker gets out of bed every day?

• To help small-scale family farmers and promote diverse science

• To play basketball and work in a herbarium

• To travel the world and meet new people

• To work with supercomputers and study influenza

How did the speaker initially get involved in biology?

• Through a lifelong passion for biology

• By following a family tradition

• By chance, through a college work-study job

• Through a high school science project

What is the main threat to cassava plants in Africa?

• Drought and lack of water

• Whiteflies and viruses

• Over-farming and soil depletion

• Lack of market access

What technology did the team use to help diagnose cassava plant diseases?

• Mobile phone applications

• Traditional farming techniques

• Satellite imaging

• Portable DNA sequencer

How long did it take to provide results to farmers using the new technology?

• Two days

• One week

• Three hours

• Six months

What is the name of the project that took high-tech molecular labs to farmers?

• Global Food Security Project

• Farmers' Aid Initiative

• East African Agricultural Program

• Cassava Virus Action Project

What was the initial reaction of a UK collaborator to the idea of using portable DNA sequencers on farms?

• They were supportive and encouraging

• They doubted it would work and bet against it

• They offered financial support

• They suggested an alternative method

How did the speaker's background in computational biology help in the project?

• By developing customized databases for quick analysis

• By offering traditional farming advice

• By providing financial resources

• By designing new farming equipment

What was the outcome for Asha after using the Tree Lab's solutions?

• She moved to a different village

• She lost her entire crop

• She increased her yield to 40 tons per hectare

• She had to switch to a different crop

What is the significance of diversity and inclusion in the speaker's work?

• It helps in creating more effective solutions

• It is unrelated to the project's success

• It is a requirement by funding agencies

• It is a personal preference of the speaker