Article
JOINT PRESS RELEASE:
Genus Plc (“Genus”), a world leader in animal genetic improvement, and Tropic, a pioneering agricultural-biotechnology company, today announce that they are extending and expanding their collaboration for the application of Tropic’s Gene Editing induced Gene Silencing (GEiGS®) technology in porcine and bovine genetics.
Since the collaboration started in June 2020, Tropic has delivered multiple sets of GEiGS® solutions for Genus to evaluate, which is a critical step in the development of resistance traits to several devastating livestock diseases. Experimental validations of the GEiGS® solutions conducted by Genus’ scientists have demonstrated effective silencing of specific target genes.
The extended collaboration will enable Genus and Tropic to explore additional traits that will be based on the GEiGS® platform, to expand animal welfare traits in bovine and porcine species.
Elena Rice, Chief Scientific Officer at Genus stated:
Jack Peart, Chief Business Officer at Tropic Biosciences commented: "Our progress with Genus demonstrates the power of the GEiGS® technology in addressing critical diseases in animals, adding to the growing list of animal and plant species where GEiGS® is demonstrating its effectiveness."
For further information, please contact us.
About Genus Plc
Genus is a world-leading animal genetics company. Genus creates advances to animal breeding and genetic improvement by applying biotechnology and sells added value products for livestock farming and food producers. Its technology is applicable across livestock species and is currently commercialised by Genus in the dairy, beef and pork food production sectors.
Genus's worldwide sales are made in over seventy-five countries under the trademarks 'ABS' (dairy and beef cattle) and 'PIC' (pigs) and comprise semen, embryos and breeding animals with superior genetics. Genus's customers' animals produce offspring with greater production efficiency, and quality, and use these to supply the global dairy and meat supply chains.
The Group's competitive edge has been created from the ownership and control of proprietary lines of breeding animals, the biotechnology used to improve them and its global supply chain, technical service and sales and distribution network. With headquarters in Basingstoke, United Kingdom, Genus companies operate in over twenty-five countries on six continents, with research laboratories located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
This announcement is available on the Genus website www.genusplc.com
About Tropic
Tropic is one of the leading agricultural gene-editing companies globally and focuses on the development and commercialization of high-performing varieties of tropical crops, namely coffee, bananas and rice. It employs over 130 industry-leading professionals.
About GEiGS®
GEiGS® (Gene Editing induced Gene Silencing) technology utilizes established genome editing tools (e.g. CRISPR, TALEN) to make precise and specific changes to only a few nucleotides within non-coding genes of a host organism. These changes redirect RNA interference (RNAi, also Gene Silencing) activity of non-coding genes towards desired target genes, suppressing their activity. Target genes can include the host’s own genes, or gene-families, to finely tune their expression to a new desired level. Further, GEiGS® can be used to activate defense against pathogens and pests (e.g. viruses, insects and fungi) by redirecting RNAi activity towards pathogen and pest genes. GEiGS® does not depend on the introduction of foreign genes into the host genome, and thus the approach will be considered as non-GMO in multiple regions.
For more information, please visit www.geigs.com
