A leading American company specializing in genetics-based innovations for food and agriculture has developed the world's first seedless blackberry variety.
Blackberries are known to be extremely beneficial in enhancing body functions, improving digestion and sugar levels. It also reduces inflammation, improves brain function, and prevents cardiovascular disease, as well as cancer.
But some people refrain from buying blackberries because they contain seeds and thorns that are difficult to digest, which prompted Pairwise to develop the first seedless blackberries using the Fulcrum platform, which provides a whole set of new tools used to apply CRISPR gene editing technology in plants.
The technology was first used in the laboratory through a genome editing system found naturally in bacteria. These organisms use RNA derived from CRISPR technology to prevent virus attacks.
“With CRISPR precision, we are able to develop these compact, consistent traits in fruit without sacrificing consistency in flavor and quality for consumers,” said Haven Becker, co-founder and chief business officer at Pairwise. “We are excited to advance this berry to the next stage of product development, including “Including outdoor field trials, we are working to scale it up and make it available to the public within a few years.”
“As part of our drive to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, we are working to provide consumers with new, more nutritious food options with enhanced flavor and taste,” said Tom Adams, co-founder and CEO of Pairwise. “Through a deep understanding of the plant genome, and an accurate, efficient and scalable process, "With a simplified path to market, we are not only creating new products using our CRISPR technology, we are creating a new era of innovation in agriculture."
Baker explained that the berry variety they genetically edited is always sweet all year round and holds up well during shipping.
Excellent development.
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