GENETIC ENGINEERS BUILD A BETTER TOMATO

Calgene Inc., a boitech company in Davis, California, and a research team at the University of Nottingham have succeeded in creating a genetically engineered tomato that softens slowly. Because these genetically engineered tomatoes won't soften and bruise quickly, they could be left to ripen on the vine, allowing the full flavor to mature, and could then be shipped without refrigeration. The genetically engineered tomatoes could probably be processed at lower temperatures, yielding a higher proportion of solids to liquid in canned tomatoes. This was accomplished by reducing the production of a key enzyme, polygalacturonase, that is responsible for fruit softening.