“What’s really exciting about gene editing is precision and speed,” says Corteva chief technology and digital officer Dr. Sam Eathington.
From seaweed to selective breeding, multiple approaches are being tested to cut methane emissions from belching ruminants. But could editing the genes of the microbes responsible for the problem change the game?
“It was probably around 2013 or 2014 when I was at Monsanto that it became really clear that CRISPR was going to matter” for plant breeding, says Pairwise cofounder and CEO Dr. Tom Adams.
There is “definitely a holy shit moment when you speak with breeders about what we’re doing,” says Friedberg.
Insect breeding and rearing/processing require very different skillsets, claims FreezeM, which supplies insect farmers with neonates in a state of ‘suspended animation.’
Could dormant genes in staple crops such as rice be reactivated so they can grow in salty land, or even directly in the ocean?
Five or six years ago the press coverage around cultivated meat was almost universally positive. Today, we’re seeing headlines about cancerous cells, ‘vaporware,’ and business failures. So where does the industry go from here?
Some commentators argue that cultivated meat is a food tech fantasy. So are they right? It all depends on your approach, says Joshua March, cofounder and CEO at San Leandro-based startup SciFi Foods.
Israeli startup Plantae Bioscience uses CRISPR gene editing techniques to slash levels of bitter-tasting saponins in yellow peas, addressing a major pain point in the plant protein industry.
Andreessen Horowitz led the Series A round, which will enable SCiFi to continue R&D on its blend of plant-based and cultivated beef burgers.
The UK startup offers an AI-driven gene editing platform that uses CRISPR technologies to build more resilience in plants and better crop sustainability.
The Netherlands startup is using CRISPR to perform non-transgenic genome edits on plant varieties – in addition to developing nanotech-enabled delivery of crop inputs.
CRISPR is the best tool the EU has to achieve its ambitious agrifood sustainability goals. The bloc needs to keep that squarely in mind when regulating its use, write Rudi Ariaans and Ferdinand Los.
The Japanese government has affirmed its “determination” that Sanatech Seed’s new tomato will be regulated as a GE, rather than a GMO, product.
Pairwise is also working on blackberries without seeds and cherries without pits in pursuit of its aim to get more Americans snacking on fruits and veggies.
Incorporating CRISPR and other biotech tools in the still-forming regenerative ag movement will undoubtedly cause some controversy.
Matt Crisp is cofounder and CEO of Benson Hill Biosystems, a crop genomics platform using computational biology and gene editing. Here he writes about the startup’s evolution and transition to now serving a broad range of clients across the food system.
Tropic Biosciences is using gene-editing technology including CRISPR to optimize coffee and banana crops.
Management teams in plant genetics companies have likely been asked by at least one well-intending board member: “Are we using CRISPR? I sat next to this guy on the plane and he said that CRISPR will change everything,” writes Vonnie Estes.
