Corteva, an Indiana based agriscience company, has partnered with Pairwise, a North Carolina based gene editing agrotech firm, to fast-track advanced gene editing solutions for farmers, benefiting both the environment and consumers. Corteva will also make a $25 million equity investment in Pairwise through its Corteva Catalyst platform, aimed at driving agricultural innovation. This investment is designed to broaden the reach and benefits of gene editing across a wide range of staple and specialty crops.
What is Gene editing?
Gene editing is a set of technologies that allows scientists to modify an organism’s DNA in a precise and controlled manner. This can include adding, deleting, or altering specific genes within its genome. In the context of food and agriculture, gene editing refers to advanced techniques like CRISPR used to alter the genetic material of crops and livestock, aiming to enhance traits such as yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance, and nutritional value.
CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a gene-editing technology that enables precise DNA modifications using a guide RNA to target specific sequences and the Cas9 enzyme to cut the DNA.
The CRISPR system consists of two key components:
- Guide RNA (gRNA): This RNA molecule is designed to match a specific DNA sequence in the genome that researchers want to edit.
- Cas9 Protein: This is an enzyme that acts like molecular scissors, cutting the DNA at the targeted location.
Advantages in Agriculture
Gene editing enables plant breeders to introduce changes to crops more quickly and precisely than traditional breeding methods. While conventional techniques can take decades to incorporate a new trait, genome editing can potentially reduce this timeline to just a few years. By using a plant’s own DNA for these precise improvements, it provides growers with a vital tool to address the challenges of food production, particularly those posed by climate change.
“Gene editing is a transformational technology for agriculture that will advance climate resilience in farming and drive the increased farm productivity needed to feed and fuel the world’s growing population. “As a gene editing technology leader ourselves, we are proud to work with Pairwise to accelerate the benefits of gene editing not only to farmers, but ultimately to those who rely on the availability of sustainably grown and affordable food – and that’s all of us.”
Joint Venture for Advanced Gene Editing
In addition, Corteva and Pairwise have formed a joint venture to accelerate and expand the delivery of advanced gene edited technologies aimed at increasing crop yield for food, fuel and fiber production, despite increasing climate change.
The joint venture, which spans five years, will leverage the gene editing capabilities of both companies to create and evaluate unique gene edits across multiple traits in a variety of crops. This collaboration will focus on developing gene-edited products that are more resilient to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change.
Read more: Food Fortification Strategies: Key to Combat Malnutrition in India
According to the Pairwise, last year, the first CRISPR food in North America was launched by the company and is actively developing multiple products across key crops, including corn, soy, wheat, canola, and blackberries. The Pairwise Fulcrum™ Platform features proprietary gene editing tools that not only enable the activation or deactivation of traits but also allow for tuning those traits using base editing and related technologies to optimize performance. These editing tools allow scientists to precisely modify a wide range of genetic variations, facilitating the rapid and efficient development of new, unique plant varieties, enabling faster and more effective results than traditional breeding methods.
“Gene editing is poised to revolutionize agriculture, enabling the cultivation of crops that are more adaptive to climate change, are more nutritious and convenient for consumers, and deliver greater economics for growers. “Through our Fulcrum™ Platform, we’re proud to be at the helm of applying this transformative technology in agriculture and, alongside partners like Corteva, accelerate the realization of these benefits across global stakeholders.” Tom Adams, Pairwise CEO and co-founder
This is the first joint venture and major equity investment made by Corteva Catalyst, the company’s new investment and partnership platform. The investment reflects Corteva’s nearly century-long track record (through its Pioneer brand) of championing innovation through partnerships, including with the global scientific community.
