Danziger Innovations,Precision BioSciences Collaborate on Genome Modification

Danziger Innovations Ltd. and Precision BioSciences, Inc., recently announced that they have successfully generated site-specific genome modifications in petunia and jasmine tobacco by combining Precision’s Directed Nuclease Editor (DNE) gene editing technology with Danziger’s MemoGene gene delivery system.

This successful research effort was aimed at genetic control of flower color but researchers at Precision and Danziger believe that the approach can be used more broadly to address genome engineering challenges in plants that are recalcitrant to existing transformation methods without requiring the insertion of foreign DNA into the plant genome.

Precision’s DNE technology is a proprietary method for making site-specific modifications to complex genomes. The current version of the technology can create virtually any desired genetic change without the high-levels of off-target modification that are often seen with alternative genome engineering methods.

Danziger's MemoGene technology is a proprietary, viral-based technology for precise gene modifications, using highly innovative tools to deliver endonucleases to specific compartments in the plant cell by uniquely designed viral vectors. The MemoGene solution bypasses current biotechnological barriers and offers two main consumer applications: Deletion and Insertion/Substitution of DNA sequences to create new, commercially desirable “tailor-made” varieties of field, vegetable, woody and ornamental crops.

“While DNE has a long and successful history in major row crops, we see a significant commercial opportunity in ornamentals and other high-value plants,” said Derek Jantz, Precision’s VP of Scientific Development. “MemoGene will allow us to work in numerous such species that do not have established transformation protocols and potentially reduce regulatory burdens.”

"We are very pleased with this cooperation. Using the MemoGene and DNE technologies together creates a synergy that shall lead to the creation of new and improved varieties, with novel traits," said Micha Danziger, CEO of Danziger Innovations. "Using our MemoGene Deletion technology allows us to create a mutated plant, without leaving any trace of foreign DNA in plant genome. We may achieve the predictable results at reduced time and cost."