Tearful onions? CRISPR has a solution for that Global Agriculture | October 12, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/10/12/tearful-onions-crispr-has-a-solution-for-that/ Chopping onions may one day be a dry-eyed affair. Researchers at Japan’s Chiba University and food company House Foods have used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to knock out the gene behind onion-induced tears, as Global Agriculture reports. The target is lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS), an enzyme that springs into action when an onion’s cells are cut, converting sulfur compounds into the volatile gas that stings your eyes. Disable LFS, the thinking goes, and the waterworks stop.