Dr. Germán Sandoya at the University of Florida is developing heat-resistant lettuce varieties by focusing on those that withstand bolting and tipburn, using controlled environment experiments to study growth and energy efficiency. In the second phase, he will cross the most heat-tolerant varieties with high-quality lines to create even more resilient lettuce. Expected outcomes include heat-tolerant lettuce for greenhouse production and improved breeding techniques for controlled environments, with a plan to explore additional germplasm resources if necessary.