By . Australian Associated Press . It's the genetically modified fruit from Australia that could turn East African nations into life-saving banana republics. Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers have engineered bananas grown in far north Queensland to increase the levels of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. The researchers say their goal is to stop thousands of Ugandan children, and those from surrounding countries, from going blind and dying from Vitamin A deficiencies. With the researchers having now successfully bent the banana genome, the genetically modified fruit is being tested on humans for the first time. Life-saving banana republics: A research team from Australia's Queensland University of Technology have engineered bananas grown in far north Queensland to increase Vitamin A levels in the body . Thousands of children in Uganda and surrounding countries are deficient in the vitamin . About 10 kilograms of the orange-fleshed yellow fruit, grown near Innisfail, about 90 kilometres south of Cairns, has just been shipped to Iowa State University, where the trials are being conducted. Five Ugandan PhD students have been working with project leader Professor James Dale on the nine-year project, which received $10 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Life-saving: With vitamin A deficiencies leading to blindness and premature death for children under six years old in Uganda, the genetically engineered fruit could potentially be life-saving . According to Professor Dale, vitamin A-enriched banana varieties will be grown by Ugandan farmers by 2020. About 70 per cent of the Ugandan population survive on bananas. 'The Highland or East African cooking banana, which is chopped and steamed, is a staple food of many East African nations, but it has low levels of micronutrients, particularly pro-vitamin A and iron,' Professor Dale said. 'We're aiming to increase the level of pro-vitamin A to a minimum level of 20 micrograms per gram dry weight.' According to the World Health Organisation, Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and is especially severe in Africa, where people are the poorest. Many children affected by Vitamin A deficiencies in Africa don't survive beyond six years old. Previous trials using Mongolian gerbils had already proved successful on the bananas. If the field trials in Uganda are a success, Professor Dale said the same technology could be transferred to countries such as Rwanda, and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Tanzania. According to the World Health Organisation, Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and is especially severe in Africa .
Genetically engineered bananas contain higher levels of vitamin A .
Thousands of children in Uganda and surrounding countries are deficient in the vitamin .
Nine-year project received $10 million from Bill and Melinda Gates .
Expected to be grown by Ugandan farmers by 2020 .
By . Australian Associated Press . It's the genetically modified fruit from Australia that could turn East African nations into life-saving banana republics. Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers have engineered bananas grown in far north Queensland to increase the levels of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. The researchers say their goal is to stop thousands of Ugandan children, and those from surrounding countries, from going blind and dying from Vitamin A deficiencies. With the researchers having now successfully bent the banana genome, the genetically modified fruit is being tested on humans for the first time. Life-saving banana republics: A research team from Australia's Queensland University of Technology have engineered bananas grown in far north Queensland to increase Vitamin A levels in the body . Thousands of children in Uganda and surrounding countries are deficient in the vitamin . About 10 kilograms of the orange-fleshed yellow fruit, grown near Innisfail, about 90 kilometres south of Cairns, has just been shipped to Iowa State University, where the trials are being conducted. Five Ugandan PhD students have been working with project leader Professor James Dale on the nine-year project, which received $10 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Life-saving: With vitamin A deficiencies leading to blindness and premature death for children under six years old in Uganda, the genetically engineered fruit could potentially be life-saving . According to Professor Dale, vitamin A-enriched banana varieties will be grown by Ugandan farmers by 2020. About 70 per cent of the Ugandan population survive on bananas. 'The Highland or East African cooking banana, which is chopped and steamed, is a staple food of many East African nations, but it has low levels of micronutrients, particularly pro-vitamin A and iron,' Professor Dale said. 'We're aiming to increase the level of pro-vitamin A to a minimum level of 20 micrograms per gram dry weight.' According to the World Health Organisation, Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and is especially severe in Africa, where people are the poorest. Many children affected by Vitamin A deficiencies in Africa don't survive beyond six years old. Previous trials using Mongolian gerbils had already proved successful on the bananas. If the field trials in Uganda are a success, Professor Dale said the same technology could be transferred to countries such as Rwanda, and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Tanzania. According to the World Health Organisation, Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and is especially severe in Africa .
Thousands of children in Uganda and surrounding countries are deficient in the vitamin . About 10 nine-year project, which received $10 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. banana varieties will be grown by Ugandan farmers