基因编辑“冻龄”香蕉问世
Many of us have thrown away a soft, overripe banana. But now scientists have a solution: a genetically engineered banana that does not turn brown. This fruit is part of a growing group of gene-edited produce, designed to stay fresh longer — a technology scientists believe can play a key role in fighting global food waste, a pressing worldwide issue.
Developed by Tropic, a biotech company in Norwich, the non-browning banana has notable advantages: it remains fresh and yellow for 12 hours after peeling and resists browning when bumped during harvesting or transportation. The key is to shut down the gene responsible for producing the browning enzyme (酶). The company achieved this modification by adjusting the banana’s existing genes without adding any foreign material. The unnamed banana is already sold in the Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, the US, and Canada, and is expected to enter the UK market once supporting regulations are passed.
Food waste is a major global concern with far-reaching impacts. About 33% of the world’s harvested produce is never eaten, largely due to short shelf lives, and bananas are among the most wasted foods. Tropic’s chief executive Gilad Gershon emphasizes the severity: “Bananas are the fourth most important crop in the world, but they go bad very quickly — some studies say 50% of all grown bananas are never eaten.” A UK government survey further illustrates the issue: Britons throw away 1.4 million edible bananas every day. Beyond resource waste, Gershon notes that food waste is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.