Crispr is this powerful gene-editing tool that's helped treat sickle cell disease, and now it's being used to level up our fruits and veggies. Scientists in China have recently used Crispr to make tomatoes that taste 30% sweeter than usual and honestly, I think that's pretty fascinating. Jinzhe Zhang and his colleagues identified two genes in tomatoes that are responsible for lowering sugar levels as the fruit ripens. By using Crispr to remove parts of those genes, it resulted in tomatoes that were noticeably sweeter - without sacrificing their size. This is very significant considering when tomatoes get to be large they tend to lose their flavor, so accomplishing both size and flavor is impressive. Crispr isn't just being used to sweeten tomatoes- researchers are also exploring ways to make apples and pears sweeter as well. They've even started conducting experiments to create seedless blackberries and less-bitter mustard greens, which really shows how versatile this tool is.
The only downside to genetically edited foods is that none of these foods can't hit the grocery stores until they're approved by the government. It might be a while before we get to try these upgraded fruits and veggies, but it's so interesting and exciting to see the advancements being made in genetically edited foods. I think this kind of innovation could have a huge impact on the agriculture industry by helping farmers grow tastier crops that appeal more to consumers, and possibly even helping crops last longer in the face of extreme climate change.
It's understandable that genetic engineering is a very divisive topic, but I still wish it was easier to distribute beneficial products to those that may need it. Restrictions around GMOs are just as motivated by politics as it is by genuine medical concerns, which is a shame. I for one am interested in a world of extremely modified and frankensteined plants, even if we're already halfway there.
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