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Why the world needs faster food | Lee Hickey | TEDxUQ

3,949 views · Published 14 December 2018 · 16:12 · Indexed 23 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism

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While well acquainted with the earth and soil as a crop scientist, Dr Lee Hickey’s inspiration has come from the stars. Inspired by the way NASA astronauts grow plants in space, Lee leads a research lab playing a pivotal role in unlocking the power of ‘speed breeding’ technology, which enables up to six plant generations per year. Speed breeding provides a powerful tool for crop improvement, through which Lee investigates the genetics of disease and drought resistance in order to design more robust crops for farmers. Dr Hickey is an emerging leader in the field of plant breeding and genetics. He leads a research team working on Australia’s most important cereal crops, wheat and barley, situated within the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at The University of Queensland. His lab investigates the genetics of disease and drought resistance in order to design more robust crops for farmers. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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