Tastier Tomatoes in the Future?

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A) tomato plants and B) tomato fruits of the Solarum Lycopersicum complex which are easily cross-bred with each other. Various wild tomatoes - (I) S. chmielewskii (II) S. habrochaites (IV) S. pimpinellifolium (V) S. neorickii (VI) S. pennellii - are ...
A) tomato plants and B) tomato fruits of the Solarum Lycopersicum complex, which are easily cross-bred with each other. Various wild tomatoes - (I) S. chmielewskii, (II) S. habrochaites, (IV) S. pimpinellifolium, (V) S. neorickii, (VI) S. pennellii - are all excellent for hybridisation with the cultured tomato (III) S. lycoperisicum. Image: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology

Tomatoes are good for you. They strengthen the immune system and can prevent heart and circulatory disease. Now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, in co-operation with Israeli scientists, have identified DNA fragments in tomatoes that make their contents both healthy and tasty. The researchers crossed wild tomatoes with cultured ones, then investigated the contents and genetic make-up of the hybrid. The results could allow tomato growers to use wild tomatoes to produce cultured tomatoes with the characteristics they desire.



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