A sandwich Gabriella Rothberg was making for her father when she was 15 led to an unusual question- Could a tomato be made to taste like meat?
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tomato → make → meat
Two years later, the 17-year-old student from Miami is listed as a co-inventor on a US patent for genetically engineered tomatoes designed to produce heme, an iron-containing molecule associated with the flavour of meat.
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student → list → meat
Gabriella, a senior at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove, worked on the project with her father, biotechnology entrepreneur Jonathan Rothberg.
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Gabriella → work → father
The two are named as inventors on US Patent No. 12,668,806, issued in June this year.
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two → name → June
According to a report by Biscayne Bay Beacon, the patent has been assigned to Impossible Vines Inc.
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patent → accord → Beacon
The idea behind the project is to develop tomatoes that produce heme, which contributes to the characteristic flavour of meat.
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which → develop → meat
Gabriella hopes the technology could eventually make vegetables taste more like meat without requiring them to be processed into conventional plant-based meat substitutes.
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vegetables → hop → substitutes
The genetically engineered tomatoes have not undergone taste testing or entered commercial production.
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tomatoes → engineer → production
Researchers have also not established whether they can deliver the intended flavour or nutritional benefits.
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they → establish → flavour
The patent protects the described technology but does not establish that the tomatoes are ready for consumption.
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tomatoes → protect → consumption
How a sandwich idea became a biotechnology project
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idea → become → ?
Gabriella began thinking about the project at 15 while preparing a sandwich for her father.
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Gabriella → begin → father
She wondered whether it would be possible to change the flavour of a vegetable itself rather than process vegetables into products designed to resemble meat.
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it → wonder → meat
That question eventually developed into a biotechnology project called Impossible Vines.
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question → develop → project
Speaking to Miami New Times, Gabriella explained what she hoped the technology could achieve.
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technology → speak → what
"So you'll bite into a tomato, and it'll taste like a hamburger," she said.
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she → bite → hamburger
To explore the idea, Gabriella worked with Maddison Marshall, a doctoral candidate at the University of Miami.
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Gabriella → explore → Miami
Together, they used a bacterium called Agrobacterium to introduce genetic material into tomato plant cells.
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they → use → cells
Agrobacterium is used in plant genetic engineering because it can transfer genetic material into plant cells.
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it → use → cells
In this project, the researchers used it to work towards developing tomatoes capable of producing heme.
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researchers → use → heme
Heme is an iron-containing molecule associated with the flavour of meat.
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Heme → contain → meat
The researchers' aim is to enable tomato plants to produce it through genetic modification.
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aim → enable → modification
The patent also describes methods for changing other characteristics of plants, including their lycopene content and seed production.
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patent → describe → content
Lycopene is a naturally occurring pigment that gives tomatoes their red colour.
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that → occur → colour
Researchers faced problems growing the modified plants
Gabriella and Marshall also faced difficulties during the early stages of their research.
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Gabriella → face → research
For several months, the plants did not develop as expected.
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plants → develop → months
The researchers then consulted scientists at the University of Miami to understand what was preventing growth.
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what → consult → growth
They eventually discovered that the vitamin concentration in the growth medium was incorrect.
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concentration → discover → medium
The growth medium is the material used to provide plant cells with the nutrients needed to develop under laboratory conditions.
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medium → use → conditions
After adjusting the formula, the researchers began seeing plant growth within weeks.
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researchers → adjust → weeks
Gabriella also reported using artificial intelligence during different stages of the project.
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Gabriella → report → project
She used AI tools to help design genetic constructs, prepare patent materials and develop a business plan.
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She → use → plan
Gabriella comes from a family of biotechnology researchers
Gabriella's interest in science developed in a family with a background in biotechnology and medical research.
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interest → come → biotechnology
Her father, Jonathan Rothberg, is a biotechnology entrepreneur who helped pioneer next-generation DNA sequencing.
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who → pioneer → sequencing
He had received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from former US President Barack Obama in 2016.
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He → receive → 2016
Gabriella says that scientific discussions were common at home.
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discussions → say → home
Family conversations often included subjects such as evolution, astronomy and physics.
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conversations → include → evolution
The patent also lists Gabriella alongside her father as an inventor.
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patent → list → inventor
Could the tomatoes also help address iron deficiency?
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tomatoes → help → deficiency
Beyond developing tomatoes with a meat-like flavour, Gabriella hopes the technology could eventually help improve access to dietary iron.
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technology → develop → iron
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
