Improving tomatoes for us all.

Classic crop breeding methods rely on the genetic diversity present in elite lines, however recent studies have revealed that most of this diversity is hidden and inaccessible to classical breeders due to the so-called epigenetic (above genetics) regulation. The recent discovery of enzymes that can erase epigenetic information has opened the possibility to unlock this hidden variation and ultimately create novel traits in crops.

In this study Mr Antúnez Sánchez, working at the Warwick University School of Life Sciences aims to demonstrate the applicability of epigenetic modification for the generation of new traits in tomato. Because tomato is a very important crop in UK and worldwide, outcomes originating from this project will be beneficial to breeders, growers and consumers.