[Campbell Biology P.806] What pivotal events led Dennis Gonsalves to shift his initial caree... | Practice Question
What pivotal events led Dennis Gonsalves to shift his initial career aspirations and ultimately focus on solving the papaya ringspot virus crisis?
A: He initially aimed to be a sugar plantation laborer like his father, but a personal illness forced him into plant pathology research.
B: His goal was to be an agriculture engineer, but the closing of sugar plantations in Hawaii led him to horticulture. His interest in ringspot virus was sparked by a colleague's report during a vacation.
C: After completing his Ph.D. in molecular biology, he volunteered to work at a plant pathology lab, where he independently discovered the ringspot virus.
D: He was always interested in plant diseases, which led him directly from his B.S. in Horticulture to a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, and he immediately began studying the ringspot virus.
Explanation
Dennis Gonsalves initially pursued agriculture engineering but changed direction due to the closing of sugar plantations, leading him to horticulture and then a plant pathology lab technician role. His specific interest in the ringspot virus was piqued during a vacation in Hawaii in 1978, when a colleague informed him about the devastating impact of the virus on the papaya industry.