The secrets of the tequila plant are set to be revealed with the launch of a new study in the UK that will seek to study the properties of this heady plant.
Mexican postgraduate student Ivan Saldana Oyarzabal is studying Agave tequilana and its unusual behaviour at the University of Sussex. "These agave plants grow in extreme environments and they have a very particular behaviour," said Saldana. "They are important plants economically and culturally, but their molecular biology has not been investigated that much in the past."
Past research has mainly concentrated on the agave plants' chemical and industrial properties, for example how to produce alcohol from them - apparently made more than 200 years ago - and how to use the waste products from tequila production.
Agave plants thrive in Mexico where conditions such as altitude and climate are perfect for their growth. It takes the agave plant eight to 10 years to mature and be ready for harvesting and distilling.
"Almost all agave plants are clones because they are never allowed to develop seeds. This makes them vulnerable to parasites and diseases," added Saldana."Normally they never flower as the maximum amount of sugar in the plants is just before they flower."
The research is being funded by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (the Mexican Council for Science and Technology).