While preventing TeA synthesis might me a goal for crop preservation, TeA also has antitumor, antibacterial, and antiviral properties that could prove beneficial in many situations. Understanding exactly how it is synthesized by TAS1 is therefore an important next step. "Now that we know that the KS domain of TAS1 is unique," notes co-lead author Choong-Soo Yun, "X-ray crystallographic analysis of this domain will be important for uncovering the reaction mechanism.