On Halloween it is hard to remember that the pumpkins used for decoration are actually an important food for indigenous people of the Americas. There are multiple species of pumpkins that originated in North and South America, and primarily used for food. Dr. Harry Paris is a retired Senior Researcher and fruit breeder from the Volcani Center in Israel. We discuss the origins of pumpkins, how they moved in the New World, as well as the diversity and uses for this important fruit. # COLABRA Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/ # TALKING BIOTECH Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.