Tomato genome decoded, will seed development of tastier, fleshier fruits - Polidicks

[QUOTE]A relatively small cluster of genetic information, some of it dating to 60 million years ago, endows the staple fruit of summer with its taste and texture. The secrets of the tomato, star of summer gardens, salads and gazpacho, is now laid out for plant breeders and horticulturists in exacting detail. Adding to a growing list of plant gene maps, the Tomato Genome Consortium today published genome sequences for two tomatoes: The “Heinz 1706” varietal, an inbred cultivar that serves as a model for the domesticated tomato, and its closest wild counterpart, Solanum pimpinellifolium. The nine-year effort provides the closest glimpse yet of the 35,000 genes and 12 chromosomes of tomatoes, and by extension the rest of their extended plant family. The two sequences also tell the story of tomato domestication, notably its initial cultivation in the Americas and the introduction of “pomo d’oro” to the Old World in the 16th century. The sequences provide new insight into the genes responsible for tomatoes’ characteristic color, flavor and texture, and could give plant biologists a wealth of new genetic information to manipulate, either through breeding or otherwise. Tomatoes represent a $2 billion market in the United States, according to Cornell. “Tomato genetics underlies the potential for improved taste every home gardener knows and every supermarket shopper desires,” says James Giovannoni, a scientist at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, located on the campus of Cornell University, who led the U.S. sequencing team. “The genome sequence will help solve this and many other issues in tomato production and quality.” Just last week, plant biotechnologists cracked the code of tomato taste, using statistical analysis of taste tests to isolate two dozen flavor compounds controlling sweetness and intensity. “We now know exactly what we need to do to fix the broken tomato,” said Harry Klee of the University of Florida. Today, that’s truer than ever. The two tomato gene sequences suggest there’s not much difference between delicious, sumptuously sweet garden varieties and the sandy-fleshed red blobs found at the supermarket. The varieties have just 0.6% nucleotide divergence, or 5.4 million single nucleotide polymorphisms, differentiating them — so breeding desirable qualities back into domesticated cultivars may not require many revisions. As an example, around 50 genes are involved in the construction of tomato cell walls during fruit development, a trait which has a major impact on the fruit’s texture. The several million SNPs could have boundless potential, serving as a new reservoir of tomato traits. Beyond just improving the tomato, the new genome sequences provide scientists with a new system for studying its closest relatives in the night-shade family. So many of our food crops are direct tomato relatives, including the potato, pepper, petunia, tobacco and even coffee. The Tomato Consortium obtained some data from the Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium and compared the two plants, which are genetically only 8 percent different. And other fleshy fruits could benefit, too — melons, apples, strawberries and many more share characteristics with tomatoes. A tomato gene framework will allow for easier comparison of common and divergent plant gene sequences. It will also be much easier for other scientists — and seed companies and plant breeders — to sequence different tomato varietals, by building on this genome scaffold. “Now we can start asking a lot more interesting questions about fruit biology, disease resistance, root development and nutritional qualities,” Giovannoni said in a statement. The paper appears in the May 31 edition of [I]Nature[/I].[/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-05/newly-decoded-tomato-genome-will-seed-future-development-tastier-fleshier-fruits[/url]

TOMATOES THAT TASTE LIKE APPLES

What the fuck is up with the title?

People are gonna bitch about this to no end. Just like when the first GMOs were produced.

I would love to know the secrets of the tom. [sp]the title says it knows the secrets of the tom.[/sp]

I put part of the article in the title somehow by mistake [editline]30th May 2012[/editline] And there's not a mod online to fix it, fuck

But will it make my ketchup taste better?

You can still change the title.

[QUOTE=_jesterk;36138955]You can still change the title.[/QUOTE] I tried. Didn't work.

We will finally learn the secrets of the Tom. R. Toe!

[img]http://i.cubeupload.com/M7Bqno.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=supersnail11;36138994]We will finally learn the secrets of the Tom. R. Toe![/QUOTE] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qllXwbrKgXc[/media] This guy?

Tom knows the secrets of the tomato genome. (That bastard better tell us.)

[QUOTE=zombini;36138912]People are gonna bitch about this to no end. Just like when the first GMOs were produced.[/QUOTE] People bitch about GMOs because there hasn't been any long term studies and one of the most corrupt companies in America own the seeds in most of the GMO crops in America. Monsanto. We shouldn't be so easy going with our food supply. I'm not some loony, GMOs can prove to be very useful to the worlds problems when it comes to food. Imagine if we could engineer seeds in a way that we could water crops with saltwater, or plants that are more resistant to extreme climates. The potential with GMOs is amazing, but not with Monsanto behind it. Monsanto is the same company that produced Agent Orange, DDT, and Bovine Growth Hormone, all of which are banned in almost every 1st world country. They're a corrupt company with a long history of controversy, not only in their products, but in their ethics as well. And to top it off, a lot of top Monsanto executives happen to hold positions in the FDA. I'm sorry, but if you don't find this even slightly troubling, there is something wrong. Many countries have exercised extreme caution when dealing with GMOs and for good reason. Why in America, do we demand someone prove something is dangerous, rather than demand they prove it is safe, especially when it comes to something as important as food. People aren't saying GMOs are bad, people are simply asking for long term studies to be conducted by an independent party, before they are poured into our food supply.

tomatos are vile. Hopefully they can make them not taste like shit.

[QUOTE=Red scout?;36139660]tomatos are vile. Hopefully they can make them not taste like shit.[/QUOTE] The ones you are eating taste like shit because they were probably cultivated for their thick skins so they can be transported without bruising and becoming ruined. Eat a great heirloom tomato, you [b]will[/b] taste a [b]huge[/b] difference.

And then Tomacco

[QUOTE=Funcoot;36139718]The ones you are eating taste like shit because they were probably cultivated for their thick skins so they can be transported without bruising and becoming ruined. Eat a great heirloom tomato, you [b]will[/b] taste a [b]huge[/b] difference.[/QUOTE] Um, my parents grow their own tomatos in our garden, and they taste awful too.

[QUOTE=Red scout?;36139810]Um, my parents grow their own tomatos in our garden, and they taste awful too.[/QUOTE] I bit into a homegrown cherry tomato and it was sour tasting.

Not everything homegrown is going to taste better.

[QUOTE=Funcoot;36139621]People bitch about GMOs because there hasn't been any long term studies and one of the most corrupt companies in America own the seeds in most of the GMO crops in America. Monsanto. We shouldn't be so easy going with our food supply. I'm not some loony, GMOs can prove to be very useful to the worlds problems when it comes to food. Imagine if we could engineer seeds in a way that we could water crops with saltwater, or plants that are more resistant to extreme climates. The potential with GMOs is amazing, but not with Monsanto behind it. Monsanto is the same company that produced Agent Orange, DDT, and Bovine Growth Hormone, all of which are banned in almost every 1st world country. They're a corrupt company with a long history of controversy, not only in their products, but in their ethics as well. And to top it off, a lot of top Monsanto executives happen to hold positions in the FDA. I'm sorry, but if you don't find this even slightly troubling, there is something wrong. Many countries have exercised extreme caution when dealing with GMOs and for good reason. Why in America, do we demand someone prove something is dangerous, rather than demand they prove it is safe, especially when it comes to something as important as food. People aren't saying GMOs are bad, people are simply asking for long term studies to be conducted by an independent party, before they are poured into our food supply.[/QUOTE] I agree. I'm not keen on GM crops. It's not that I think they'd be carcinogenic or anything. I just feel that giving a plant major abilities to resist certain elements (salt water, extreme temperatures, etc) could have awful results if the plants got released into the wild. We've seen ecosystems destroyed when we've introduced non-native plants or animals; non-native rabbits, dogs and rats in New Zealand are the reason the Kiwi bird is very, very endangered. Weeds can have similar effects on plant systems. [editline]31st May 2012[/editline] I'm also not sure why everything has to taste amazing? Don't get me wrong, I like ice cream and bacon as much as the next guy but I don't need everything I put in my mouth (ho ho!) to be bursting with amazing flavours. I'm okay with spinach tasting a bit nasty.

[QUOTE=Maloof?;36139938]I agree. I'm not keen on GM crops. It's not that I think they'd be carcinogenic or anything. I just feel that giving a plant major abilities to resist certain elements (salt water, extreme temperatures, etc) could have awful results if the plants got released into the wild. We've seen ecosystems destroyed when we've introduced non-native plants or animals; non-native rabbits, dogs and rats in New Zealand are the reason the Kiwi bird is very, very endangered. Weeds can have similar effects on plant systems. [editline]31st May 2012[/editline] I'm also not sure why everything has to taste amazing? Don't get me wrong, I like ice cream and bacon as much as the next guy but I don't need everything I put in my mouth (ho ho!) to be bursting with amazing flavours. I'm okay with spinach tasting a bit nasty.[/QUOTE] Because some people want to have what they eat actually taste good to them. It's human instinct, tastes bad = might be poison so spit it out.

[QUOTE=DireAvenger;36139989]Because some people want to have what they eat actually taste good to them. It's human instinct, tastes bad = might be poison so spit it out.[/QUOTE] That would make sense if we didn't know what spinach was But we know it's good. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for good tasting food. But if you're not going to get scurvy/malnourished from not eating veges because you don't like the taste then you need to man up.

[QUOTE=silentjubjub;36138908]What the fuck is up with the title?[/QUOTE] Another thread where we talk about how long the title is.

This isn't about GMO's this is about selective breeding of plants. Now they know which genes are responsible for the less appetising traits, they can focus on breeding one without those traits and by comparing the DNA of them with this mapped genome they will eventually find the "perfect" tomato. If you want to talk about GMO's just simply point the finger at that American rapeseed crop that turned into a "superweed" and grows from ditches and pavements.

Well, if we can make tastier fruits, then this is good intel to have. All it needs is to be implemented into a sequence and have the fruits tested before released for general consumption

They finally decoded my genome.

That's one hell of a title! Anyway the prospect of tasty-ass tomatoes seems pretty cool

[QUOTE=IliekBoxes;36139005][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qllXwbrKgXc[/media] This guy?[/QUOTE] Holy Jesus, I think this person's channel is a tendril of some Lovecraftian god of madness reaching into our realm.

[QUOTE=Maloof?;36140106]That would make sense if we didn't know what spinach was But we know it's good. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for good tasting food. But if you're not going to get scurvy/malnourished from not eating veges because you don't like the taste then you need to man up.[/QUOTE] Yeah, who really needs advancement? Black and white screens were okay, why make them better?