Chinese Researchers Engineer Tomatoes with Popcorn Aroma Through Gene Editing
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Gene-Edited Tomatoes Smell Like Popcorn: Chinese Scientists Tackle Flavor Loss
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News18•26-02-2026, 19:13
Gene-Edited Tomatoes Smell Like Popcorn: Chinese Scientists Tackle Flavor Loss
•Chinese scientists developed gene-edited tomatoes with a "popcorn-like" aroma using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
•The goal is to combat flavor degradation during transport and storage, a common issue with conventional tomatoes.
•Researchers silenced two genes, SlBADH1 and SlBADH2, responsible for suppressing aromatic compounds, leading to the distinct scent.
•The inspiration came from fragrant rice, which gets its popcorn aroma from 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP), normally suppressed by the BADH2 gene.
•The mutant tomatoes maintained key traits like yield and quality, with no significant changes in flowering time, plant height, fruit weight, sugars, or acids.
