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Scientists led by Boyce Thompson Institute faculty (BTI) member Jim Giovannoni have discovered a gene that could help tomatoes stay firm while having the right combination of flavor and softness when eaten. The study looked into the tomato genome for genes involved in fruit softening but not fruit ripening. The team identified a transcription factor, Solanum lycopersicum lateral organ boundaries (SlLOB1), that regulated a broad array of cell wall-related genes and fruit-softening processes