Imagine this as a sci-fi film. But instead of starring an A-list actor, top billing is taken by you -- right now -- along with your car, clothes, kitchen gadgets and the contents of your fridge. It’s not penned by George Lucas -- in fact, it isn’t even written yet. But if anyone has a good handle on all the potential plot twists, it’s Gord Surgeoner. Gas tanks made of spiderwebs. Tomatoes that resist their own natural ripening. Cars with interiors made from pot plants -- well, all right, hemp plants -- that run on corn cobs. For Surgeoner, a University of Guelph professor and head of Ontario Agri-Foods Technologies, these ideas represent another day at the office. They may also represent a biotech blockbuster in the very near future.
