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Nínsar Agrosciences creates a technique to naturally extend the shelf life of tomatoes

By 27 de July de 2010November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 27.07.2010

Nínsar Agrosciences creates a technique to naturally extend the shelf life of tomatoes

The biotech Nínsar Agrosciences, based at the Barcelona Science Park, has just launched into the market the rights to produce and distribute a new technique called ESL Extended Shelf-Life which makes it possible to extend the preservation time of tomatoes, thanks to a technology developed by the company which enables the natural introduction –by means of hybridization- of a gene that incorporates this property.

The firm, a recently created joint venture, focuses its research on the analysis of the genome of cultivable species in order to provide techniques to help develop and obtain improved and more productive varieties of agricultural interest.To this end, research projects using cutting edge technology are carried out worldwide in collaboration with expert scientists in this field.

Nínsar belongs to three international seed companies: GAUTIER Semences (FranCE), Semillas FITÓ (Spain) and BHN Seeds (United States) and promotes the concept of non-exclusive licensing in order to achieve the return on equity and sustainability of its business activities.

Its task focuses on researching genes that lead to improvement and that are naturally present in certain varieties; developing the technique or techniques that must be applied to transfer them; performing the follow-up in order to confirm that new molecular markers have been correctly incorporated, and –once their efficacy has been proven- commercialising the rights to use their technology and the tools to carry it out openly to all clients interested in developing them.

Specifically, in the case of the ESL technology, Nínsar has discovered the transcription factor that regulates the maturation process of the fruit, and that allows the tomato’s shelf life to be extended up to 100 days, while entirely maintaining the quality of its organoleptic characteristics and nutritional properties.

Other research lines the company is working on –always within the agrihortifruit sector- are centered on improving the production of potatoes, increasing the firmness of tomatoes and eliminating the seed in the latter.