Tomatoes Could be Growing Bigger

A Johns Hopkins website called the Hub shared a new study that discovered genes in tomatoes that are responsible for how large the plant grows. The gene was found as part of a project to map the genomes of 22 organisms in the nightshade genus. Using techniques and tools such as CRISPR-Cas9, one copy of the gene CLV3 can be edited and result in much larger fruit. This growth of the tomato fruit is different from the cause of other fruits growing larger. For example, the Genetic Literacy Project explains that current strawberries are much larger than strawberries from the past because they are polyploid. However, the new research into tomatoes and eggplants reviews gene editing that can be passed from parent to offspring. The researchers are exploring real-world applications of their findings including shipping a single edited fruit to places like Africa to create new agricultural markets. The article mentions that the gene was discovered by studying multiple species together. Decades worth of research on tomatoes was easily transferred to eggplant genetics and one of the genes that leads to larger fruit was discovered in eggplants. The researchers urge “pan-genetics” to be more common as it could have endless possibilities for food around the world. 

    I find it interesting that more researchers do not use pan-genetics as it seems to have promising results at least in the case of crop yield. I think that editing the tomato genes to produce larger fruit could have major beneficial effects if it is allowed. However, with so many regulations on gene editing in food sources, I wonder whether it is possible to send edited parent crops to other countries. Even though the results look promising, the tomatoes would be genetically modified and some individuals may be hesitant to eat them if other options are considered not genetically modified.

Links

https://hub.jhu.edu/2025/03/05/engineering-genes-to-grow-bigger-tomatoes-and-eggplants/

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/11/30/why-are-strawberries-so-big-the-genetics-behind-up-sizing-fruits-and-vegetables/

Heirloom Vs GMO's

 

 

 Heirloom plants are among the most desirable plants because of their reliability and sustainability if you know how to save the seeds. Heirlooms may go through  'stabilization' where the plant reverts back to the parent. These plants, because of their long history are reliable sources of food for years to come. GMO's (genetically modified organisms) are modified in order to give them desirable traits found in other organisms such as size, taste, color and yield. Heirlooms and GMO's are both beneficial to farmers as they are both working toward a common goal to increase quality crop.

 

At the end of the day all GMO's are not bad and Heirlooms are good. GMO's have been around long before the hype. Yes, heirlooms are beneficial, however, GMO's should not be written off because the fear labeling on food products.

 

https://agfundernews.com/the-role-of-heirloom-crops-vs-genetic-engineering-in-future-food-systems.html

 

https://migardener.com/difference-gmo-hybrid-organic-heirloom-seeds/

A New Tomato Ideal For Urban Gardens and Even Outer Space

 

 

Scientists have discovered a new form of planting crops. The Urban Agriculture Tomato prove to be efficient and beneficial to our environment. The gene-editing of the tomato has allowed it to bunch up closer together rather than in vine like fashion. The whole point of this new idea was to be able to grow plants in Urban areas that would likely not be able to produce the plants. This way more plants can be grown almost anywhere. They are even talking about growing them in space! This new advancement has made it possible for the tomatoes as well as other plants to be produced faster, easier, more efficiently and taste better. More people will be able to be fed as well. This also allows us to save land as well as decrease the amount of fertilizer used to aid crops from entering the soil and rivers. This ultimately proves to be beneficial to everyone and everything! The gene responsible for it all is SIER. This gene was modified with the CRISPR gene which led to the amazing, tasty tomatoes. 

https://www.agritechtomorrow.com/story/2019/12/a-new-tomato-ideal-for-urban-gardens-and-even-outer-space/11907/

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgeed.2020.00005/full

Tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant properties created with genetic engineering

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong and the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes have discovered how to genetically modify tomatoes to enhance their antioxidant properties.  The scientists used a variant of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase (HMGS) to manipulate the isopropenoid pathway of the tomato plant. The increase of HMGS in the tomato plant cause an increased production of many compounds, including phytosterols, squalene, provitamin A, lycopene, and vitamin E. The vitamin E production in the tomatoes increased by an incredible 494 percent.

            The research group then furthered their experiment by using the HMGS variant S359A, which differed from the original HMGS because the amino acid serine was replaced by the amino acid alanine in the 359 position. Switching the HMGS to the S359A variant increased the enzyme activity within the tomatoes by 10-fold.  The introduction of the S359A variant of HMGS did not alter the size or overall appearance of the tomatoes. However, the tomatoes had an antioxidant level that was 89.5-96.5 percent higher than the unaltered tomatoes. The tomatoes that were genetically modified with the S359A variant of HMGS also had higher levels of vitamin E, squalene, and phytosterols because of the increased expression of genes in the isoprenoid pathway.

            I thought that this article was very interesting because I never realized how much the properties of an organism can change due to genetic manipulation. The tomatoes in this study experienced an increase of four different substances within them, all because one amino acid in the DNA sequence was changed. The researches who completed this study hope to begin providing the public with vegetables that have added-value in them. They also hope to enrich the feed given to livestock and fish in aquaculture farms. In addition, phystolerols, vitamin E, and carotenoids function as inflammatories and can be utilized in the production of anti-aging lotion and sunscreen. Overall, I think that this research could have many positive effects that, eventually, span the globe.

 
Link to Article: Tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant properties created with genetic engineering
 More information about genetic engineering can be found here