Join us at the MSU Science Festival on April 5 and 6, 2025, and step into the fascinating world of plant chemistry at our interactive booth!
The Plant Metabolic Network (PMN) once again left a lasting impression at the recent STEAM Expo Days event during the MSU Science Festival. Led by Charles Hawkins, director of PMN, a dedicated team of volunteers including Danielle Hoffman, Matt Stata, and Hillary Fischer engaged with approximately 300 students, showcasing an innovative outreach activity focused on the chemical nature of fragrance in fruits.
Titled "Why do Bananas Smell so A-Peeling," the activity captivated attendees with its hands-on approach and interactive demonstrations. Through engaging discussions and captivating experiments, participants were introduced to the fascinating world of plant metabolism and chemistry.
February 7, 2024 was Science Night at the local Glencairn Elementary School here in East Lansing, MI, and PMN was there with a booth, run by PMN director Dr. Charles Hawkins! We called our booth “Why do bananas smell so a-peeling”, and we showed students and their families all about how the wonderful smells of fruits and other plants are actually caused by chemistry and metabolism.
Rev up your plant metabolism excitement by watching or listening to Episode 78 of This Week in Science and Education where the PMN's very own Dr. Sue Rhee describes how plant biochemical pathways are the Engine of Life!
Please come watch an amazing and enormous Amorphophallus titanum flower bloom . . . and be thankful that you can't smell it.
