A Genetic Fix to Put the Taste Back in Tomatoes By Kenneth Chang

A ScrAPES Project by Jack Tunguz

GMOs, Genetically Modified Organisms, could be the solution to restoring flavor to the tomato, however they carry many negative stereotypes and while speed up the tomato solution, may not be the best solution.
The flavor of a tomato is influenced by the amount of sugar the plant creates through photosynthesis, but also by the trace other chemicals present in the fruit.
Most commonly, people like a sweet fruit, however this is hard to achieve as growers, who are paid by the pound, favor larger fruits.

Summary: Over the last few decades Tomatoes have become blander and blander, mostly due to a deficiency in certain chemicals lost over years and years of breeding for certain traits such as size, sturdiness and color. Researchers have located these chemicals in heirloom and wild tomatoes and are breeding a hybrid that tastes better, while still retaining the characteristics important to growers. In addition, this is being done the traditional way in order to achieve the best result without any of the stigma that comes from genetically modifying food. However, it may be too late, as during several taste tests between tomatoes found that many people prefer the blander, modern tomato.

Improving the taste of tomatoes would have many applications, including making a BLT sandwich like this even better!
Here are some other great foods that would benefit!

Analysis: Improving food is one of the great benefits of science. While in the grand scheme of things, improving the taste of tomatoes is rather unimportant, the future uses of these kind of techniques are extensive. It may seem simple now, and really isn't all that incredible, but for the first step on a very exciting path it is worth learning about.

Big Takeaway: The future is incredibly bright due to the amazing scientific achievements in the future. Food science and GMOs are being researched more heavily, and are actually giving results that are applicable in every day use. The future they hold is going to be both delicious and interesting.

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