Hybridizer’s Hand Tool, Tweezers
notes: label: Description
content: This pair of tweezers was used by workers at the Mars Center for Cocoa Science in Itajuipe, Bahia, Brazil in their cacao hybridization efforts. While sequencing the cacao genome provided scientists with a road map to understanding cacao and accelerated testing techniques, scientists still bred new cultivars of cacao through traditional techniques of hand pollination.
label: Description
content: Cacao sustainability was recognized as an issue in 1998 when Mars Chief Agricultural Officer, Howard-Yana Shapiro, broached the idea of sequencing the cacao genome to give cacao researchers the necessary tools to help it become a modern crop. In 2008 a collaboration between Mars Inc., the United States Department of Agriculture, IBM, and several universities embarked on an effort to sequence the genome of the cacao to help breed improved hybridized plants to reduce crop loss and increase arable land for farmers. In 2010 the results were published and released to the public without patent restriction.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Agriculture
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content: Industry & Manufacturing
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content: American Enterprise
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content: Agriculture
label: Exhibition
content: American Enterprise
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of MARS Inc.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2014.0033.05
label: catalog number
content: 2014.0033.05
label: accession number
content: 2014.0033
objectType: label: Object Name
content: tweezers
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 7/8 in x 3/8 in x 1/4 in; 12.3825 cm x .9525 cm x .635 cm