Tear-free onion engineered

David Pescovitz 9:00 am Wed Feb 6, 2008

Gene jockeys have created a "tear-free" onion. According to the scientists from New Zealand's Crop and Food institute, the bioengineered onion lacks the enzyme that makes our eyes tear up. In 2002, Japanese researchers discovered the gene for the enzyme that the New Zealand scientists have now knocked out. This is such big news that it made the cover of the trade journal Onion World. Seriously. From the Agence France-Presse:

(Senior scientist Colin) Eady, who has several model onion plants at the institute, said despite the excitement about the prospect of "no tears" onions in every home, it would be 10 to 15 years before this happened.

"This is an exciting project because it's consumer orientated and everyone sees this as a good biotechnology story," he said.

"I'm more interested in sustainable production and the onions we are working on must be capable of being grown in an efficient manner.

Link (via Fortean Times)

Previously on BB:
• Onion-chopping goggles Link

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