Chinese scientists have created a genetically modified variety of tomatoes with a popcorn flavor, using the CRISPR/Cas9 tool, the development of which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020, writes the South China Morning Post, quoted by
The tomatoes with a “surprising aroma” were grown in an experimental greenhouse in Zhejiang Province in the eastern part of the country, reports Xu Shenchun, deputy director of the Institute of Biotechnology Research at the Xianhu Laboratory.
According to the scientist, such an aroma can enrich the taste of tomatoes, potentially improving consumer preferences and market value, similar to aromatic rice varieties.
Xu adds that they were able to change the tomatoes without harming their yield.
In the study, published in the Journal of Integrative Agriculture, scientists used the CRISPR/Cas9 tool to silence two genes responsible for suppressing aroma compounds. The tomatoes then began to emit “the characteristic aroma of high-quality aromatic rice, similar to the aroma of freshly made popcorn with butter.”
Chinese experts note that tomatoes are among the crops in the world with the highest yield. However, behind this scale lies a drawback that consumers have long noticed: their taste and aroma gradually disappear. For this reason, researchers are trying to enrich the taste and aroma characteristics of the fruits.
The scientists explain that the genetically modified tomatoes do not differ significantly in key characteristics such as flowering time, plant height, fruit weight, soluble sugars and organic matter content compared to control samples.
Illustrative Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-tomatoes-373019/
