From mint · Trisha Bhattacharya · · 50s
17-Year-Old Scientist Engineers Meat-Tasting Tomatoes
17-year-old scientist creates tomatoes that taste like meat, patent pending.
In brief
17-year-old scientist creates tomatoes that taste like meat, patent pending. Gabriella Rothberg, a 17-year-old student from Miami, engineered tomatoes to produce heme for meat-like flavor through a US patent. Originally reported by mint.
Gabriella Rothberg
17-year-old student from Miami engineering tomatoes to taste like meat.
“could a tomato be engineered to taste like a hamburger?”
Project Impossible Vines
Patent pending project to engineer tomatoes with meat-like flavor using heme.
“The aim is to introduce genetic instructions that enable tomato plants to produce the desired compound.”
Collaboration with University of Miami
Working with doctoral candidate Maddison Marshall on heme production.
“She is collaborating with Maddison Marshall, a doctoral candidate at the University of Miami, to develop the technology.”
US Patent in June 2026
Patent issued for heme-producing tomatoes by Impossible Vines Inc.
“According to reports by The Miami New Times and The Times of India, Rothberg and her father, biotechnology entrepreneur Jonathan Rothberg, are named as inventors on a US patent issued in June 2”
Heme Production Method
Using Agrobacterium to transfer genetic material into tomato cells.
“The approach involves using Agrobacterium, a bacterium commonly employed in plant biotechnology to transfer genetic material into plant cells.”
Taste Testing Status
Tomatoes have not undergone taste testing or entered commercial production.
“The tomatoes have not undergone reported taste testing or entered commercial production, and their ability to deliver the intended flavor has yet to be established.”
Nutritional Potential
Could help address iron deficiency in developing countries.
“She has identified pregnant women in developing countries as one group that could potentially benefit if the technology can deliver meaningful nutritional advantages.”
The one thing
Gabriella Rothberg, a 17-year-old student from Miami, engineered tomatoes to produce heme for meat-like flavor through a US patent.
