Bayer announced this morning that as part of its strategic open innovation approach, it has initiated two collaborations to advance genome editing in vegetables.
Bayer has partnered with South Korean biotechnology company G+FLAS to develop genome-edited tomato varieties enriched with Vitamin D3. The collaboration aims to address the widespread problem of Vitamin D deficiency, which affects an estimated one billion people worldwide, especially in areas with limited daylight hours in the winter, according to a press release. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a variety of health problems.
“Bayer is committed to achieving our goal of ‘health and zero hunger’. As we work towards this mission, we are proud to address a wide range of nutritional issues and support healthy eating through cutting-edge technologies,” said JD Rossouw, head of vegetable research and development at Bayer, at the World Seed Congress in Rotterdam. “This collaboration will leverage G+FLAS’ genome editing technology and Bayer’s unique tomato genetic resources.”
The agreement also aims to use genome editing to develop seeds for a wider range of tomato products.
“Modern breeding techniques such as genome editing offer health benefits and resilience to climate change,” Rossouw says. “This is a vital addition to the breeder’s toolbox and we expect it to play an important role in the future pipeline.”
Ruth Matheson, global strategic marketing director for Bayer Vegetables & Seeds, said Bayer has a deep understanding of what consumers want – foods that are not only nutritious but also taste great.
“Our mission is to deliver on these expectations, thereby generating significant benefits across the value chain and increasing the competitiveness of producers,” she said. “We are acutely aware of the widespread problem of nutritional deficiencies in today’s diets, and working proactively to close this nutrition gap is the driving force behind our growth and innovation strategy.”
Bayer licenses genome-edited leafy vegetables from Pairwise
Bayer has acquired a license from Pairwise to develop and commercialize genome-edited mustard greens. The greens, a colorful leafy vegetable mix with a unique, fresh flavor and higher nutritional value compared to lettuce, were developed using genome editing and are the first gene-edited food product introduced to the North American market.
“This agreement and our focus on genome-edited produce has been a great contribution to our open innovation approach,” said Rossouw. “We are excited to partner with Pairwise on an innovative leafy green that offers a new salad option that is both nutritious and great tasting. This latest agreement creates value beyond simply selling a product, as it also entails future rights to use the knowledge, intellectual property and technology.”
The license includes commercialization rights for varieties developed by Pairwise and the right to develop new varieties.
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