China: Scientists modify tomatoes to make them significantly sweeter

Published 2024년 11월 15일

Tridge summary

Chinese scientists have used CRISPR-based genome editing to modify tomatoes, removing two genes to increase sugar content by up to 30% without affecting weight and yield. The research, published in Nature, outlines a potential solution to improve sugar content in modern commercial tomato varieties, which are often larger but less sweet. The modified tomatoes were found to be significantly sweeter when tested, and the researchers have filed a patent for the use of the identified genes to improve fruit sugar content. They plan to test the gene-editing technique on various tomato varieties.

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Original content

HONG KONG — Chinese scientists have successfully modified tomatoes to make them sweeter by removing two genes that regulate sugar content, according to a new study. The researchers said the modified tomatoes had glucose and fructose levels that were up to 30% higher than the variety they were based on, but the weight and yield were maintained. "Our finding of the sugar brake genes … provides a possible solution for improving sugar content without reduction in fruit yield for modern commercial varieties, which are preferred by both consumers and producers," the team said. "[The] CRISPR-edited 'sweetness-promoting' tomatoes may be available to consumers in the near future," they wrote in an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on Thursday, referring to a genome editing technology. The team led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing includes researchers from other institutes in China and Cornell University in the United States. Most consumers ...

Source: Bangkokpost