Purdue News

March 1993 New Genes Thicken Tomato Sauce Mankind's quest for thicker ketchup continues. At Purdue, scientists have used genetic engineering to create tomatoes that will yield thicker ketchup, spaghetti sauce and tomato paste by genetically engineering a tomato that has a 1O percent increase in soluble solids. Other researchers have genetically altered ripening in tomatoes, but the Purdue group is the first to use a gene to increase the amount of solids in a fruit. The scientists found the gene that produced the enzyme pectin methylesterase involved in ripening, reversed it, and inserted it back into the tomato plants, producing a more solid tomato. The result: Cooks and food processors soon will need 1O percent fewer tomatoes to produce their sauces. other teams at Purdue are using biotechnology to make rice a complete-protein food and to develop ways to produce low-fat meats. CONTACT: Avtar Handa, professor of horticulture, 317-494-1339. ** Background information available.** Computer Technology Offers Custom-Made Implants Patients needing artificial implants, such as hip or knee implants, may soon have implants custom-designed to suit their needs. Purdue Associate Professor Chandrajit Bajaj, together with Lafayette surgeon Dr. Robert Hagen, has developed computer software to model the geometry and design replacements for a patient's joints using data obtained from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. The Purdue model is designed to work with curved surfaces like those found in the body, making it easy to obtain precise measurements. Custom-made implants may prove more durable and allow a wider range of motion. Bajaj says his work, along with efforts under way at Cornell University and Johns Hopkins University, indicates that the technology for designing custom-made implants is now in place. He is contacting implant manufacturers in Warsaw, Ind., to find ways to implement the new technology. CONTACT: Bajaj, 317-494-6531.** Background information available.** Cancer Researchers Find Ways Immune Systems Change with Age A physician in the School of Veterinary Medicine hopes to develop new strategies for treating certain cancers in the elderly by studying how the age of the immune system affects tumor growth. Dr. Regina Kreisle (KRISE-lee), assistant professor of experimental medicine and part of Purdue's Cancer Center, says it's known that many tumors–such as breast cancer in women–grow more slowly in older people than in younger people. The reason appears to be changes in the immune system as a person ages. Kreisle is among 35 scientists and doctors nationwide who received grants for biomedical research on aging from the American Federation for Aging Research. CONTACT: Kreisle, 317-494-5798. **Background information available.** Contact Purdue News Service (765) 494-2096 or purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page