German scientists have produced a "safer" genetically modified tomato, which they believe could lead to a range of fruits and vegetables that give a health boost to anyone who eats them.
The tomato plant has been engineered in a way that prevents its new genes from passing to other crops - something which has been a major concern for organic farmers and conservation groups.
New laboratory techniques also mean much higher levels of a desired health-giving protein appear in the edible tissues of the plant - the bright red fruits themselves.
The scientists envision "super tomatoes" that offer consumers substantially increased vitamin content. "We are also planning to make tomato plants that express vaccines in the fruits for oral immunisation," lead researcher Professor Ralph Bock, at the Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology in Munster, told BBC News Online.
The tomato plant has been engineered in a way that prevents its new genes from passing to other crops - something which has been a major concern for organic farmers and conservation groups.
New laboratory techniques also mean much higher levels of a desired health-giving protein appear in the edible tissues of the plant - the bright red fruits themselves.
The scientists envision "super tomatoes" that offer consumers substantially increased vitamin content. "We are also planning to make tomato plants that express vaccines in the fruits for oral immunisation," lead researcher Professor Ralph Bock, at the Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology in Munster, told BBC News Online.
