We have our first berry on the Miracle Berry plant in the Greenhouse! The Synsepalum dulcificum berries have an incredible effect on human taste buds.

The fruit itself tastes mildly sweet and tangy, but the juice contains a glycoprotein molecule called miraculin that binds to human taste buds, temporarily changing the shape of the sweetness receptors so that sour, acidic foods trigger them to fire instead of sweet foods. 

Suddenly, lemons taste like oranges and vinegar tastes like soda.The effect lasts for about an hour, at which point your saliva will have washed away the miraculin molecules.

There’s only the one berry so far, and I’m not sure what we’re going to do with such a precious commodity. Award it as a prize to the best costume at the Monster Mash festival? Try to split it up between all my Kids Crew afterschool kids? Auction it off to make millions for the museum?