Spud lab pragmatics

When the University of Idaho celebrated the official grand opening of the new Seed Potato Germplasm Laboratory on their campus in Moscow, Michael P. Parrella, Dean, of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences made some remarks concerning a pragmatic approach to this investment.

“Obviously we’ve got this magnificent facility that’s really a testament to the physical aspects of return on investment. So, investment by the state, by the university, by private industry, private growers. But clearly the return on investment is going to occur in decades to come just based on the product that’s going to be produced here. And no matter how wonderful the facility is, it’s only as good as the people inside doing the work, and toward that end Jenny Durrin leading the group here as the director of the facility, I think we’re in good hands,” said Michael P. Parrella, Dean, of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

“When I first moved in the excitement was pretty high, I mean I had the butterflies in my stomach, and I was just so excited to get in. I moved in and then I didn’t go back to the old facility. – laughs – So excited to be here,” said Durrin.

The program has two full time staff members and in peak times up to twelve students working in the lab getting hands on training and experience.

“We are called the Germplasm Laboratory which means I have a large collection of varieties of potatoes, and I ship those varieties all over the United States and all over the world.”