It's not often that two people sitting down to dinner marks a huge step forward for science, but that was the case when two men in Sweden tucked into a meal of pasta and fried vegetables recently. The historic ingredient? Cabbage that had had its genome edited with CRISPR-Cas9, making it the first time such a plant had been grown, harvested, cooked and eaten.

CRISPR genome editing is a revolutionary, relatively easy technique that allows scientists to make changes to the DNA of a living organism. Using it to remove certain genetic mutations could lead to the prevention of hereditary diseases, and scientists have already tested it with disorders like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, retina degeneration and even HIV. In plants, it could help improve crop resistance to pests or weather conditions, or increase the yield and nutritional value of foods.