genXtraits Inc. licenses Fulcrum™ toolkit from Pairwise to enable its technology platform for generation of high-value enhanced crops with dominant traits

genXtraits Inc. (genXtraits) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Pairwise to deploy its Fulcrum™ editing tools to engineer targeted gene edits into plant genomes to produce novel crop traits.

genXtraits is an innovative start-up based in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has developed proprietary algorithms that identify specific repressor sequences in genomes that can be modified, via targeted gene editing, to activate genes which produce valuable traits such as environmental stress tolerance and improved nutritional composition. Unlike most plant gene editing companies, genXtraits is generating dominant traits by boosting the activity of master regulator genes, which enables more effective breeding of improved crop varieties.

Pairwise’s Fulcrum™ Platform includes a proprietary set of CRISPR-based gene editing technologies. Through the agreement with Pairwise, genXtraits can now access Fulcrum™ editing tools to generate new crop traits, based on gene editing of the target regions in genomes that are identified by genXtraits’ computational analysis. Under the terms of the license, genXtraits has the right to develop and commercialize new crop varieties containing the Fulcrum™ derived gene-edited traits on a global basis.  

Dr. Oliver Ratcliffe, Co-Founder & CEO of genXtraits, said, ″Our approach is fundamentally different to what most other companies are doing with gene editing. The competition has largely focused on breaking genes via gene-edited mutations. By contrast, we use our computational techniques to identify and target repressor sequences in genomes which, when mutated, boost the activity of master regulator genes. Our approach results in so called ‘dominant traits’ which are very useful in breeding programs and allows us to deliver complex traits such as drought and heat tolerance, which are becoming ever more important due to the pressure of climate change.   Pairwise’s Fulcrum™ editing tools provides us the ability to precisely tune our edits for maximum impact.″

Ian Miller, Chief Operating Officer of Pairwise, said, ″We’re excited to have genXtraits join a growing list of innovative developers using Pairwise’s proven tools to deliver traits benefitting growers, consumers, and the environment.″

The agreement with Pairwise opens the gateway for genXtraits to immediately begin developing new enhanced crop varieties, which have improved abiotic and biotic stress tolerance, and which can continue to generate good yields as growing conditions become harsher.   Additionally, the firm is developing new varieties of major food crops which are fortified with elevated levels of critical nutrients which will provide important health benefits to a growing global population.