Gene-editing research cracks the code for growing sweet tomatoes

It is a common complaint in the produce aisle: tomatoes today may be big, but they are tasteless. Now researchers say they can remedy the problem by tweaking genes that affect sugar levels in the fruit.

- Nicola Davis

While their wild relatives produce small, sweet fruit, domesticated tomatoes grown industrially have been bred for high yields, resulting in varieties that are 10-100 times bigger.

Now scientists in China say they have identified two genes that put the brakes on sugar production in tomatoes during ripening, and created gene-edited versions of domesticated varieties, resulting in fruit that is large but also sweet.