Genetic Tweaks Yield Larger Tomatoes and Eggplants: A Path to Global Food Security

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have identified genes that can lead to larger tomatoes and eggplants. Published in *Nature*, the research details how editing duplicate genes, or paralogs, influences traits like flowering time, fruit size, and shape. By using CRISPR-Cas9 [krisper-kas-nain] gene-editing technology, researchers modified genes in the African eggplant, which is cultivated across Africa and Brazil for its edible fruits and leaves, finding a gene controlling the number of seed cavities, or locules [lok-yools], within the fruit. When these genes were edited in tomato plants, they grew larger tomatoes with more locules. Michael Schatz, a geneticist at Johns Hopkins, highlights the potential for sending a manipulated seed to regions in need, opening new agricultural markets. This research is part of a larger effort to map the genomes of 22 crops in the nightshade genus, including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers, potentially leading to new varieties adapted to local conditions.