Tweaked Tomatoes Take Off

Scientists have uncovered the genes that decide how big tomatoes and eggplants will grow. Armed with this new research out of Johns Hopkins, scientists are making big plans for varieties that could bolster production in underserved areas around the globe. 

Test and learn: Researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to edit genes. Then collaborators grew the engineered plants to check out how the mature plants changed. 

Armed with the genome sequences, researchers found a way to control size through the gene that determines the number of seed cavities in tomatoes. 

Sister species: Researchers have been able to advance findings by looking at several species at one time. In this instance, historical work in tomato genetics and African eggplants helped ID the size gene in tomatoes.  

Zoom out: Researchers stumbled on this discovery while working on a plot to map the whole genomes of all 22 crops in the nightshade genus (read: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, etc). Researchers have used computational analysis to understand how genes have evolved over time. 

Soundbite: “Once you’ve done the gene editing, all it takes is one seed to start a revolution. There’s huge potential to translate these advances into real-world impact.” — Michael Schatz, study co-lead author and Johns Hopkins geneticist