Zachary Lippman – a professor at Cold Spring Harbor who researches ways to breed hardy, high-yield crops – is a 2019 MacArthur Fellow. The award is often referred to as a “Genius Grant.”

Lippman became interested in plant genetics after growing giant pumpkins. Today, his research focuses on tomatoes and other crops. He’s looking to use a new plant breeding method, gene editing, to make stronger varieties, capable of withstanding climate change.

Learn more about his work by watching the video below.