Biotechnology is a promising way to increase the production of indigenous vegetables among smallscale farmers in Africa, says Damaris Achieng Odeny. Her work at the ARC focuses on using biotechnology to develop advanced breeding tools for highly nutritious African crops. She has worked on pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) in the past, and intends to broaden her scope to work on amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), and the African spider plant (Cleome gynandra)—a vegetable to some, and an ornamental plant or a weed to others.