It was a long haul, but earlier this morning I completed the last exam necessary to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biology! Although commencements was last weekend, the official diploma won’t arrive for another ninety days. That leaves plenty of time to ask “what comes next?”
I must admit, the notion of living the mad scientist lifestyle can be somewhat alluring. Not just any mad scientist, of course. Rather, a mad plant scientist. What would could be better than a life of social alienation and toiling late hours in a clandestine lab to turn the 1968 film, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, into a reality? While it would likely be an excellent conversation starter, killer tomatoes may not be that helpful when it comes time to pay the bills.
Based on a true story.
More seriously, developing tobacco that turns red in color while growing near a landmine is probably a better idea. Or perhaps studying how plants can be used to clean DDT contaminated soils. The point is that, depending on your particular interest, there are numerous possibilities where plants could help us solve or mitigate real world problems.
All the dreaming aside, I’m tentatively planning to enter graduate school this summer. Since I will be taking a course in Plant Physiology during the meantime, expect plenty of updates in the future.