Some fleshy fruits, such as tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), continue their ripening process after harvest, making it more difficult to store and distribute.
At Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, using CRISPR-cas9 gene editing, mutants were developed which show delayed ripening without revealing other phenotypic changes that compromise the quality and nutritional properties! These mutants were developed in the safe and confined controlled environments of Aralab walk-in chambers.
Research continues to better understand molecular and metabolic changes that occur in these mutated fruits to ensure that the commercialization of gene-edited products can be a safe and sustainable reality in the short term.
