Scientists Engineer First True Blue Roses
- Researchers in Japan have finally engineered true blue roses.
- For centuries, breeders crossed and hybridized roses in search of blue petals.
- Blue in flowers typically comes from a class of pigments known as anthocyanins, specifically a pigment called delphinidin.
Researchers in Japan have finally engineered true blue roses. By installing a collaborative genetic system that manufactures both a blue pigment and a colorless helper molecule, scientists at the Suntory Global Innovation Center in Kyoto crossed a historic horticultural finish line.
A Genetic Breakthrough in Kyoto
Centuries of Lavender and Mauve
For centuries, breeders crossed and hybridized roses in search of blue petals. Their efforts yielded only shades of lavender, mauve, or grayish purple.
Blue in flowers typically comes from a class of pigments known as anthocyanins, specifically a pigment called delphinidin. To create delphinidin, plants require a specific enzyme. Roses do not possess the gene for it.
The Limits of the 2004 Experiment
In 2004, researchers at the Suntory center inserted a gene for the delphinidin-producing enzyme into a rose. The resulting flowers bloomed in purplish tones rather than true blue.
A flower requires a supporting cast of molecules to stabilize the pigment and shift its color within the living tissue of the petal. Without those stabilizing interactions, delphinidin can appear dull or grayish.
The New Collaborative System
The new engineering approach goes beyond inserting a single missing piece by installing an entire collaborative system.