Scientists have modernise a raw type of banana that could help the many children in Uganda who have a pro - vitamin A lack .
The so - call “ golden bananas ” , identify for their show , were developed by a team from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia , conduce by Professor James Dale . The finding have been published in thePlant Biotechnology Journal .
It ’s hoped that by 2021 , Ugandan farmers will be growing bananas full-bodied in pro - vitamin A. About $ 10 million was provide by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the research .
The physical process require modifying single banana cadre , which then grow into banana embryo and develop into industrial plant . More than 12 years of laboratory tests and field trials in north Queensland were necessary to hone the technique . Ugandan scientists are now replicate the technique with local banana varieties .
" What we ’ve done is take a cistron from a banana that originate in Papua New Guinea and is naturally very high in pro - vitamin A but has small bunch , and inserted it into a Cavendish banana , " Professor Dale said in astatement .
" Over the years , we ’ve been able to develop a banana that has achieved excellent pro - vitamin A levels , hence the golden - orange rather than cream - color flesh . ”
banana tree are a staple intellectual nourishment in rural community in Uganda . Here masses eat the East African Highland preparation banana , which is an excellent source of starch , but has low floor of micronutrient , admit pro - vitamin A and iron .
About 650,000 to 700,000 nipper die around the mankind from pro - Vitamin A deficiency . Several hundred thousand more go unsighted . Other symptomscan include stay growth , infertility , ironical skin , and more .
So this golden banana tree could be incredibly utilitarian . The team essay and tested hundreds of different genetic variations , before settling on the last recipe . Test tubes containing the necessary cistron have been sent to Uganda , where they have been inserted into local banana for field of study trials .
" achieve these scientific results along with their publication , is a major milestone in our pursuit to deliver a more nutritionary diet to some of the poor subsistence community in Africa , ” sum Professor Dale .
