Chinese scientists breed world's first 'space mangoes'

The conceptuses that grew out of the embryonic cells brought back from space. [Screenshot of CCTV report]

The embryonic cells of the mango brought back by manned spacecraft Shenzhou XI last November after the 33-day space mission have now grown new tissues at a lab in South China's Hainan province.

These cells were developed under an experiment designed to cultivate a new variety of mango through environmental mutation in space.

Scientists' next stage task is to study how the mutation can affect the fruit and further cultivate the breed that can become "space mangoes".

"Space mangoes are expected to be insect-resistant, of higher quality and provide more output," said Peng Longrong, head of the project, to CCTV.

Two researchers make studies on the conceptuses that grew out of the embryonic cells brought back from space. [Screenshot of CCTV report]