PubMed · 2026-05-21
Scientists developed a method to genetically edit heirloom tomato varieties — the flavorful, non-commercial types prized by gardeners and farmers markets — using CRISPR, opening the door to improving these beloved varieties without losing what makes them special.
Six commercially relevant heirloom tomato cultivars were successfully tested for transformation and regeneration capacity, expanding beyond the four lab-standard varieties (M82, Ailsa Craig, Microtom, Sweet-100) that dominate existing protocols.
Use of the GRF4-GIF1 chimeric developmental regulator significantly improved recovery of transgenic plants by enhancing regeneration efficiency.
CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing was validated in multiple heirloom cultivars, successfully producing edited plants with targeted changes to plant architecture and flowering time genes.
