THIMANN, SACHS STUDY AUXIN AND COLCHICENE

Several of the less known phases of research work now being carried on at the Biological Laboratories are being backed by the Cabot Foundation for Botanical Research. At present two of its more notable fields of research are those in which assistant professor Kenneth V. Thimann is working on auxin and Dr. Carl Sachs on colchicene. For some time botanists had been trying to find a way to reproduce plants by other than the normal reproductive cycle in the plant; in other words by a vegetative method. After auxin had been found and made, it was Thimann discovered that when the end of a plant shoot had been left in a solution of auxin for twenty-four hours and planted immediately and cared for diligently, it would take root and an entirely normal plant would result.

Nurserymen have found it to be a notable advantage in speeding up the growth of new plants. It is, therefore, intended to be of assistance in the question of the national fuel supply.

Dr. Sachs is working on colchicene, a substance which will prevent the cell walls from forming during the reproductive process. This means that the nuclei will be twice as large since the nuclei of two adjoining cells will fuse together and the doubled number of chromosomes doubles the size of the plant.

At present there are in the Biological green-house plants double the normal size which growth Dr. Sachs has been noting.