“Given the country’s geographical vastness, fruits ripen while being transported from north to south. Even if we manage to delay the process of fruit ripening by two days, it will save 30 per cent of the wastage. In tomatoes, we have managed to delay ripening by 8 to 10 days,” said Dr Sane.

The genes for ethylene biosynthesis in the DNA get activated during ripening to produce RNA which in turn forms the protein (enzymes) that produces ethylene in large amounts. By genetic engineering, the scientists at NBRI are aiming to reduce the effective RNA available to produce ethylene.

Once this modification is achieved, the genes are transferred into plants through special bacteria which have the ability to infect plants and introduce part of their DNA into plants. Under controlled lab environment, these bacteria are modified so that they introduce the modified plant DNA back into the plants. The bacteria are then killed by growth on antibiotics so as to prevent the plant from further harm.

NBRI has been successful with a similar experiment on tomatoes, which are being grown in the glass house of the institute. It is now collaborating with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for bananas due to availability of expertise for banana transformation there.

It is waiting for the tissue culture to be completed in BARC before transgenic banana saplings can also see the glass houses of NBRI, where they are intended to grow into transgenic plants.

Before the technique is utilized on field, at least three to four generations of the plants need to be watched in the glass house atmosphere to check the effect of genetic modification. Up to three generations of tomatoes have successfully been grown in NBRI.