CRISPR pitless cherries are on the horizon

Viewpoint: ‘The true promise of gene-editing isn’t in pitless cherries or vitamin fortified foods but in the vast potential for treatment and cures of human disease’
Credit: Pexels/ Nataliya Vaitkevich

Seedless fruit is easy to take for granted, until you find yourself eating grapes with crunchy bits and watermelons that leave you spitting with every bite. Pits, it turns out, are even harder to get rid of. Two companies are partnering to do just that.

Sun World, the California-based company that helped pioneer seedless fruit, and ag-tech startup Pairwise will work on creating a pitless cherry to bring to the market in the next decade …. The two will use Pairwise’s gene-editing technology that can tweak a plant’s DNA directly without injecting foreign genes.

Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Gene editing is a key innovation to help crops and livestock better withstand extreme weather, pests and diseases …. But it can also improve consumer convenience, and in the case of fruit, increase how much healthier food we eat.

A cherry with no pit, combined with a longer growing season for year-round fruits at the grocery store, would be a “huge win for everyone up and down the supply chain,” said David Marguleas, the executive chair of Sun World ….

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

ChatGPT-Image-Feb-16-2026-01_57_31-PM
Viewpoint: ‘Science-as-Satan’ unites the MAHA—MAGA movements. Is a breakup in the works?
ChatGPT-Image-Apr-22-2026-11_06_18-AM
Wellness influencer nonsense: No, nicotine does not boost cognition and productivity, but it can damage your health 
bayer-supremecourt-lt
EPA concludes glyphosate is not carcinogenic. Missouri courts say Monsanto failed to warn it might be. SCOTUS weighs in.
Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-3.54.04-PM
AI disinformation stress test: Challenges and response strategies
ChatGPT-Image-Feb-16-2026-01_04_32-PM
Raw milk myth wake-up call
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-11-2026-11_58_46-AM
The Trump administration has run out more than 4,000 National Institutes of Health employees. Here are the consequences
Screenshot-2026-04-21-at-1.11.22-PM
Boy Kibble: Muscle-building protein maxxing is the latest male health delusion
Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-1.22.58-PM
Anti-biotechnology activists smear hybrid wheat breakthrough that could surge yields in poorer countries
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-2-2026-03_22_54-PM
Why ‘support supplements’ for GLP-1 users are mostly a waste of money
ChatGPT-Image-Apr-23-2026-09_20_20-PM
Kennedy’s CDC blocks publication of study that shows vaccines reduce hospitalizations by 50%, then misrepresents why
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.