Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have leveraged CRISPR gene editing to dramatically reshape the wild goldenberry, transforming this unruly fruit into a potential supermarket staple. This innovative CRISPR goldenberry transformation shrinks the plant by roughly a third, simplifying cultivation and accelerating its journey from obscurity to widespread agriculture.
For millennia, crop improvement relied on slow, selective breeding, a process that shaped nearly every fruit and vegetable we consume today. However, researchers now demonstrate a much quicker path to crop development, particularly vital for adapting food sources to a rapidly changing climate and a growing global population.
This breakthrough, reported by ScienceDaily on January 11, 2026, focuses on the goldenberry, a nutritious and flavorful relative of the tomato. The project aims to make this appealing fruit easier to manage for large-scale farming, opening new avenues for food production globally.
Domesticating the unruly goldenberry
Despite its appealing balance of sweet and tart flavors, the goldenberry (Physalis peruviana) remains challenging for large-scale cultivation. Farmers typically contend with “massive, sprawling plants,” as described by Miguel Santo Domingo Martinez, a postdoctoral researcher at CSHL who led the study. This untamed growth complicates harvesting and limits agricultural efficiency.
The Lippman lab at CSHL, known for its work on nightshade family plants, applied its expertise from prior gene-editing successes with tomatoes. By modifying key genes in the goldenberry, the team engineered plants that were approximately 35% shorter. This reduction in size makes the plants significantly easier to maintain and allows for denser planting, boosting yield potential.
Blaine Fitzgerald, a greenhouse technician in the Lippman lab, emphasizes the broader implications: “By using CRISPR, you open up paths to new and more resilient food options.” He adds that “innovation to agricultural production is going to be a huge path forward” in an era of climate change and increasing population, highlighting the urgency of such advancements.
The USDA also recognizes gene editing’s potential for agricultural improvements, aligning with CSHL’s efforts to enhance crop resilience and productivity.
Cultivating flavor and the future of crop innovation
Beyond plant architecture, the researchers meticulously focused on taste. They undertook extensive field sampling, tasting “hundreds of them, walking a field, and trying fruit off every plant in the row,” according to Fitzgerald. This hands-on approach ensured that the genetic modifications did not compromise the goldenberry’s desirable flavor profile.
After several generations of selective breeding, the team successfully developed two promising goldenberry lines. These new varieties combine the crucial trait of compact growth with robust, appealing flavor, even though the fruits were initially slightly smaller. This achievement marks a significant step towards the commercial viability of the domesticated goldenberry.
Looking ahead, the CSHL team plans further enhancements. Santo Domingo notes, “We can try to target fruit size or disease resistance.” The ultimate goal is to leverage these modern gene-editing tools to domesticate other undomesticated crops, securing a more diverse and resilient food supply.
Regulatory approval is the next critical hurdle to bring these improved goldenberry varieties to growers and consumers worldwide, as detailed in their study published in PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET. This step is essential for wider adoption.
The successful CRISPR goldenberry transformation underscores the immense potential of gene-editing technologies to revolutionize agriculture. By rapidly domesticating wild plants, scientists can introduce new, climate-resilient, and nutritious crops to our food system, offering tangible solutions for global food security. This work paves the way for a future where innovative science directly addresses some of humanity’s most pressing challenges.
