Now Gene-Edited Tomato Which Smells Like Popcorn

Tomato which smells like buttered popcorn! Yes, this the what is being done inside a greenhouse in China, where rows of tomatoes appear perfectly ordinary but the air carries an unexpected aroma: warm, buttery popcorn.The scent is no accident. It is the result of a precise genetic edit performed using the revolutionary gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9.

In a study published in the Journal of Integrative Agriculture, a team of Chinese and Australian researchers described how they successfully engineered tomatoes to produce ‘2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP)’ the compound responsible for the distinctive fragrance of premium aromatic rice varieties from India and Thailand. Just to say, the famous Basmati rice of India has this distinct aroma.

Fragrance Borrowed from Rice

For years, consumers worldwide have complained that modern tomatoes have lost their rich, complex flavour. China, the world’s largest tomato producer, harvested more than 70 million tonnes in 2023, accounting for over a third of global output. Yet scale has not translated into sensory satisfaction. Rather than attempting to recreate heirloom tomato flavours, the research team looked elsewhere for inspiration, to fragrant rice, whose buttery aroma commands premium prices in global markets.

“People like fragrant rice, and its selling price is higher than that of ordinary rice,” wrote Xu Shengchun, deputy director of Xianghu Laboratory’s Biotechnology Research Institute and the study’s corresponding author. Indian and Thai aromatic varieties often sell for more than twice the price of standard rice.The secret behind that scent lies in 2-AP. In rice, the ‘BADH2 gene’ suppresses the accumulation of this compound. When BADH2 is inactivated, 2-AP builds up, releasing the unmistakable popcorn-like aroma. Scientists have already replicated this mechanism in rice, corn and soybeans. Tomatoes, however, have never naturally possessed it.

Genetic Editing

The researchers identified two tomato genes similar to rice’s BADH2. Those two genes acts as the primary roma suppression switch,active throughout the plant’s life cycle and the other one plays a supporting role. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, the team created both single-gene and double-gene knockout tomato strains. The results were immediate and measurable. Tomatoes with only SlBADH2 disabled emitted a noticeable popcorn scent in both fruit and leaves. When both genes were silenced, 2-AP concentration increased fourfold, producing a stronger fragrance detectable even before harvest.

Perhaps most significant for farmers and commercial growers: the fragrant tomatoes showed no meaningful differences in yield or growth characteristics compared to conventional varieties. Flowering time, plant height, fruit weight, sugar levels and organic acid content remained stable. In other words, the scientists enhanced aroma without sacrificing productivity, a crucial factor in large-scale agriculture.The reaserchers say that this may enhance flavour complexity, potentially improving consumer preference and market value.

If commercialised, popcorn-scented tomatoes could command premium pricing, revitalize consumer interest in fresh produce, open the door to cross-aroma crop innovation and demonstrate the commercial potential of precision gene editing. However, consumer perception will also play a defining role. While gene editing has gained acceptance in some agricultural sectors, flavour-modified produce could face scrutiny depending on labeling requirements and public education efforts.