A biology professor in Connecticut has spent 20 years traveling in South America to discover plants.
Thomas Mione's adventures have led to nearly two dozen biological discoveries, each with a story behind the new name he's given to the plants. What's he been looking for? "Relatives of the tomato," Mione said. "We want to know how many species exist, and their geographic distributions."
Hiking in the Andes is demanding work. "There are days during fieldwork where we have so much to do," Mione said, "that we don't stop to eat."
Read the full interview with Mione by WNPR's Patrick Skahill, and see more photos, at The Beaker.