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Genus Plc (“Genus”), a world leader in animal genetic improvement, and Tropic Biosciences (“Tropic”), the pioneering agricultural-biotechnology company, today announce a collaboration to explore the application of Tropic’s Gene Editing induced Gene Silencing (GEiGS™) technology in porcine and bovine genetics. The collaboration with Tropic is a welcome addition to Genus’s internal discovery initiatives and strategic collaborations.
This new collaboration will enable Genus and Tropic to employ the GEiGS™ platform in Genus’s investigational research programmes, ultimately aimed at accelerating genetic improvement for farmers and tackling animal disease and suffering.
The collaboration will see Genus and Tropic working together to design, investigate and develop new products for a number of applications over the coming years. Tropic’s research team will continue to provide support and regular input in a collaborative effort that highlights the strengths and values of both companies.
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 Biosciences
Tropic Biosciences is a UK-based biotechnology company focused on utilizing advanced plant breeding and gene editing technologies to develop high-performing commercial tropical crops, namely coffee and bananas. It employs over 75 industry-leading professionals and is headquartered at the renowned Norwich Research Park, where it has access to excellent facilities and a highly qualified workforce.
For more information please visit www.tropicbioscience.com
About GEiGS™
GEiGS™ technology utilizes established genome editing tools to make precise and specific changes to only a few nucleotides within non-coding endogenous genomic locations of a host organism. These changes redirect RNA interference (RNAi, also Gene Silencing) activity of non-coding genes towards target genes, including those belonging to pathogens and pests. The approach does not depend on the introduction of foreign genes into the host genome.
Tropic Biosciences developed GEiGS™ to support its own product development, for example to produce lines of banana that are resistant to Panama disease, a devastating fungal disease that is threatening production globally. Recognising GEiGS™ wider potential beyond tropical crops, Tropic has been working towards making their proprietary technology commercially available to other innovative companies.
