Tier 5SS-0735MeltCocoa

Bittersweet

T. cacao · Melt heat

Scoville Heat Units

748

16M

0.0% of pure capsaicin

This is a computed design target (0.0% of pure-capsaicin concentration), derived from the flux model and blend chemistry — not a measured value. It sits within concentrations measured in real peppers. See the evidence behind it:

Paper & methods Datasheet Validation status How we know

Genes

Construct

18,540 bp

Variant

S39L

Promoter

seed-specific

Technical Manifest

Construct Type

T-DNA binary vector

Selection Marker

nptII (kanamycin resistance)

Codon Optimization

generic

Capsaicinoid Profile

Standard

Gene Cassettes (10)

pAMT expression cassettevanillylamine biosynthesis

Pun1/CS (S39L) expression cassettecapsaicin synthase

BCAT expression cassettepathway enzyme

KAS expression cassettepathway enzyme

FAR expression cassettepathway enzyme

PAL expression cassettepathway enzyme

C4H expression cassettepathway enzyme

4CL expression cassettepathway enzyme

HCT expression cassettepathway enzyme

COMT expression cassettepathway enzyme

Construct map

18,540 bp · T-DNA binary vector

Left Border

nptII selection

pAMT expression

Pun1/CS expression

BCAT expression

KAS expression

FAR expression

PAL expression

C4H expression

4CL expression

HCT expression

COMT expression

Right Border

Left Border (LB) · 78 bp

nptII selection cassette · 795 bp

pAMT expression cassette

Pun1/CS (S39L) expression cassette

BCAT expression cassette

KAS expression cassette

FAR expression cassette

PAL expression cassette

C4H expression cassette

4CL expression cassette

HCT expression cassette

COMT expression cassette

Right Border (RB) · 75 bp

Burn Profile

Melt heat

Onset 4s

Peak 18s

Duration 2m

Profile Whisper

Specimen library

Organism documentation

On-plant

Cross-section

Clinical specimen

About this design

Bittersweet is an engineered T. cacao construct targeting 748 SHU — a Melt Series design in the Tier 5 tier. Melt heat

The construct is 18,540 bp, carrying 12 gene cassettes. T-DNA binary vector with generic-native codon optimization. Selection marker: nptII (kanamycin resistance).

Package contents

FASTA constructAnnotated full-length DNA sequence (18,540 bp) with all cassette boundaries, promoter elements, and selection markers labeled.
One-page datasheetVisual lab reference: SHU target, gene cassette diagram, key parameters, and capsaicinoid blend ratio.
Technical manifestMachine-readable JSON with full construct specification: component list, selection marker, codon optimization, and capsaicinoid profile.
Flux balance analysisComplete FBA model output underlying the SHU design target: pathway flux predictions, reaction constraints, and metabolic network assumptions.
CRISPR guide designsGuide RNA sequences for cassette integration loci, with Tm values, GC content, off-target risk scores, and integration confirmation primers.
Plasmid mapCircular diagram, proportionally scaled, with all components labeled by position and function.
Transformation protocolStep-by-step guide for introducing this construct into T. cacao: selection conditions, tissue preparation, and PCR-based screening strategy.

Delivered instantly

From $650

How to use this

This construct is packaged for introduction into T. cacao. The transformation protocol covers the complete procedure for this host:

1
Prepare the expression system
This construct is packaged as a T-DNA binary vector for introduction into T. cacao. See the transformation protocol for delivery method and host preparation details.
2
Transform Cocoa
Introduce the construct using the method specified in the protocol. Delivery conditions are specific to T. cacao tissue competency and the construct's integration requirements.
3
Select with nptII (kanamycin resistance)
Propagate on selection medium at conditions given in the protocol. Non-transformed lines will not survive.
4
Screen and advance
Confirm integration using the primers included in the CRISPR guide designs. Advance confirmed transformants to the appropriate developmental stage to assess capsaicinoid expression.

License this cultivar

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Take it further with CRISPR

The CRISPR guide designs in this package are ready to use with Cas9 or Cpf1 for precision integration at defined genomic loci — and for disrupting competing pathway enzymes that reduce capsaicinoid yield. For site-specific insertion, pathway stacking, or multiplexed editing across cocoa cultivars, the guides are your starting point.

Read the full paper →View license tiers →Custom CRISPR engagement →

Work with Scoville Splice

This construct is a research tool. What it can become is an ingredient.

Scoville Splice works with food and beverage companies to take engineered capsaicinoid constructs from sequence to supply chain. If you’re developing a product — a sauce, a seasoning, a functional food — and you need a precise, consistent heat profile that no natural cocoa can deliver, that’s what we were built for. We offer custom cultivar development, strain characterization, pilot-scale grow protocols, and formulation consulting.

Already licensed?

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Common questions

What is the target SHU of Bittersweet?

Bittersweet is engineered to a target of 748 Scoville Heat Units. Burn character: Melt heat. Capsaicinoid profile: -.

What host organism does Bittersweet use?

Bittersweet is a Tier 5 cultivar in the Melt series, built on Cocoa (T. cacao). The construct runs 12 genes across 18,540 base pairs, driven by the seed-specific promoter system.

What license tiers are available for Bittersweet?

Every catalog cultivar can be licensed at Specimen (one SKU, non-exclusive) or Sector (industry-sector exclusive) tiers. Genome and Platform licensing are available on request for category or stack-wide deals. See the licensing page for pricing structure.

What is included in the Bittersweet download package?

The Bittersweet bundle contains the full construct FASTA, a JSON manifest (gene list, promoter stack, codon-optimization notes), the FBA predictions, computationally designed CRISPR guide RNAs, the datasheet, a short product paper, and a signed ZIP for provenance.