These "golden" bananas can save the lives of many children in Uganda

Scientists have grown a new variety of bananas that can help many children in Uganda suffering from a deficiency of provitamin A. The so-called "golden" bananas were developed by a team from the University of Queensland in Australia under the direction of Professor James Dale. The results of this work appeared in the journal Plant Biotechnology.

Hopefully, by 2021 Ugandan farmers will already grow bananas rich in provitamin A. This study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which donated about $ 10 million to researchers.

Development of a new variety

The process of developing a new variety of bananas involves the modification of their individual cells, which are then transformed into embryos and germinate into plants. To improve the "golden" bananas, more than 12 years of laboratory research and field testing in northern Queensland were needed. Ugandan scientists are now replicating the same technique for local varieties of bananas.

To obtain a new variety, scientists took a gene from a banana grown in Papua New Guinea. The fruits of this variety are very high level of provitamin A, but they are small in size. These genes were introduced into the genotype of the banana variety "cavendish". For many years of work, scientists managed to obtain large fruits with a high level of provitamin A. Externally, they can be distinguished from the others by the golden-orange pulp, as in most other varieties it has a cream color.

Deficiency of provitamin A

In the rural communities of Uganda, bananas are still the staple food. Here, people eat an East African culinary banana that has a high level of starch, but has very few micronutrients, including provitamin A and iron.

Every year from the deficit of this provitamin, from 650 to 700 thousand children all over the world die. Some children lose sight. Other symptoms may include slow growth, infertility, dry skin and much more.

Beginning of field trials in Uganda

So this "golden" banana can be incredibly useful. Scientists have tried many genetic variations before improving the final "recipe". Tubes containing the necessary genes were sent to Uganda, where they were introduced into the genotype of local banana species for field testing.

The achievement of these results by scientists and their publication is an important milestone in their efforts to provide a more nutritious diet for poor communities living in Africa.