DISASTER PHARMING & MUTAGENIC MIST

THE CENTER FOR GENOMIC GASTRONOMY USA/NORWAY

Disaster Pharming is a kit designed for conducting bioprospecting excursions at nuclear disaster sites. As the biological century gathers speed, the hunt for commercially viable plants, fungi, algae and isolated genes need not be limited to naturally occurring mutations. The enterprising ‘amateur bio-prospector’ of tomorrow may be visiting radioactive disaster zones as often as rain forests and wetlands.

Since the mid-20th century, radiation has been employed to induce mutations in agricultural crops. Radioactive disaster sites such as Chernobyl display an increase in genetic variation as do the test fields and ‘gamma gardens’ of the many national radiation breeding programs around the world. These mutagenic breeding programs have occasionally yielded plants with commercially valuable mutations.

Mutagenic Mist allows visitors to taste one of the most commercially successful radiation-bred foods in the world. An edible, smellable mist is served by firing a vortex cannon. This mist contains a peppermint oil made from Todd’s Mitcham peppermint. Approved in the 1970s, it was radiation bred to be disease resistant and comprises the bulk of the world’s 5,000 ton-plus annual consumption of peppermint oil.