<p> Searching for the sweeter strawberry? Researchers have recently discovered that the flavor of strawberry is linked to a specific <B>gene that controls its sweetness and distinct taste</b>, according to Phys.org. Interestingly, the gene is present only in some varieties, <B>not all.</b> Still, now that the gene has been found, scientists may be able to find strawberry varieties with a high likelihood of sweeter flavors. We may be in the midst of a strawberry breakthrough…<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Phys.org reports that two studies, published this week in BMC Genomics, found that the FaFAD 1 gene was only found in strawberries containing <B>gamma-decalactone</b>, which contributes to its “fruity,” “sweet,” or “peachy” taste and smell. Both studies arrived at the same conclusion using diverse cultivars, suggesting that “a marker in this gene would likely predict the presence/absence of the gene in breeding programs worldwide,” says Iraida Amaya, researcher at the Andalusian Institute of Agricultural Research and Training.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> IFAPA studied 20 breeding lines of strawberries, mostly from California, while the University of California looked at an aromatic French strawberry variety. Both studies concluded that FaFAD1 was not present in fruits that did not produce gamma-decalactone.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> David Tribe, a senior lecturer in food biotechnology from the University of Melbourne, suggests that with this gene, farmers can help “marry peachy flavor with other desirable berry traits.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Will we see this sweeter strawberry soon? I hope so!</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
