Using genetic variability available in the breeder's pool to engineer fruit quality.

We substantiate here the opinion that experts in biotechnology and natural biodiversity can work together on the production of successive waves of next-generation GM fruit crops to improve organoleptic and nutritional quality and therefore generate wider public acceptance. In this scenario genetic engineering becomes a faster and more precise way of transferring genes of interest to fruit crop plants from the same or sexually compatible species (intra- or cisgenesis) than more traditional methods, such as MASPB. The availability of complete genome sequences for an increasing number of crop plants, as well as the results from genomics studies, can assist in the identification of gene-to-trait association. The next wave of GM crops will be able to take full advantage of a Synthetic Biology-based strategy in the development of new fruit varieties by using DNA not necessarily present in the breeder's pool for a wide range of applications. There are still a number of challenges which require attention, such as identifying genes and allelic forms associated with traits of interest and improving the precision and stability of the transferred DNA.