Scientists Solve 160-Year-Old Mystery of Mendel’s Peas

In 1856, Gregor Johann Mendel, an Austrian monk, began a series of experiments on pea plants to investigate how traits are inherited from one generation to the next. His meticulous work established the basic principles of genetics, including the concepts of dominant and recessive traits. Although Mendel's findings were not widely recognized until their rediscovery in 1900, they have since become fundamental to modern biology. In 2025, a team of researchers led by Feng, C., Chen, B., Hofer, J., and others published a study in the journal Nature that provides new genomic and genetic insights into the specific genes Mendel studied in peas. Using advanced sequencing technologies, the researchers identified and characterized the genetic variants responsible for the traits Mendel observed, such as flower color and seed shape. This research resolves longstanding questions about the molecular basis of Mendel's experiments and enhances the scientific understanding of plant genetics.