S2E8 Plant Breeding Stories - Dr Paul Matthews and Dr Katherine Easterling

Dr Paul Matthews and Dr Katherine Easterling of Hopsteiner didn’t exactly plan to tackle the complexities of hops breeding when imagining their career paths. But, as fate would have it, their diverse life experiences gave them the perfect foundation to do just that. In this episode of Plant Breeding Stories, Dr Matthews and Dr Easterling explain why hops can be more challenging to breed than other cultivated crops due to their long generation time and unpredictable genetic inheritance patterns. They share how genomic tools, comparative breeding intel and creative thinking help them deliver unique hops varieties that enhance flavour, aroma, consistency and flexibility for brewing. The Hopsteiner scientists also share their excitement about the biomedical properties of the crop and what they could mean for global health initiatives.