This weird-looking bunch of office plants is actually much more than it seems: it is the start of a new experiment, which will broaden our scientific horizon to the world of population genetics.

The lucky model species is Matricaria discoidea, an easy-to-overlook relative of camomile with an interesting pineapple smell to the leaves. Our dedicated PhD-student is harvesting populations in cities and rural areas all over Belgium now. Soon, we will be sowing their seeds to follow-up their performance in different environments.

Exciting!