sepal

By mutating genes that control polyploidy in the mustardlike plant Arabidopsis thaliana, she and her team discovered that if the sepal had too few polyploid cells, it was stiff and upright and blooming was impeded.

Goethe recognized that all the parts of a flower, from pistil to sepal, are modified leaves.

But in 2001 she ended up in the business her mother started, Sepal Reproductive, a manufacturer of catheters for IVF procedures and distributor of diagnostic tests and medical devices.

True, being a lesbian threw some complications into the mix, but her years of work with Sepal Reproductive International meant she was familiar with the world of assisted reproduction.

“They usually get what they ask for,” said Tipu Munshi, the Bangladeshi factory owner of the Sepal Group, which makes jeans and other clothing for Target, Walmart and Kmart.