PubMed · 2026-06-02
Scientists used CRISPR gene editing to simultaneously boost five different nutrients in tomato — vitamins, antioxidants, and other health compounds — in a single engineered plant, addressing the challenge of 'hidden hunger' from micronutrient deficiencies.
Five distinct genes controlling separate metabolic pathways were edited simultaneously in a single tomato using multiplex CRISPR-Cas technology.
The approach achieved multibiofortification — simultaneous improvement of multiple vitamins and phytonutrients — overcoming the key limitation of prior single-trait editing strategies.
The study demonstrates that complex, multi-pathway nutritional enhancement is feasible in a major food crop, pointing toward a scalable solution for addressing dietary micronutrient deficiencies globally.
