Key Takeaways
- Syngenta Vegetable Seeds and Tropic announced a partnership to utilize Tropic’s GEiGS® gene editing technology.
- The collaboration aims to strengthen Syngenta’s portfolio and support global growers.
- GEiGS® technology combines precision gene editing and gene silencing (RNAi) for disease resistance.
- Climate change and emerging diseases drive demand for rapid and sustainable breeding solutions.
- Syngenta continues to invest in advanced breeding technologies through strategic collaborations.
Syngenta Vegetable Seeds partners with Tropic to deploy GEiGS® platform
Syngenta Vegetable Seeds and agricultural biotech company Tropic have entered into a collaboration to leverage Tropic’s Gene Editing induced Gene Silencing (GEiGS®) platform. The partnership aims to integrate this advanced gene editing technology into the company’s breeding programs to enhance disease resistance and strengthen its vegetable seed offerings globally.
Uri Krieger, Global Head of R&D for Syngenta Vegetable Seeds & Flowers, commented, “As a world leader in vegetable seed innovation, we’re always evaluating the latest technologies and tools inside and outside Syngenta that can help us deliver better products to growers. We’re excited to partner with pioneering industry players like Tropic on a venture that aims at developing sustainable crop products to tackle current and future threats.”
Addressing emerging disease threats in agriculture
Through the collaboration, Syngenta (Profile) aims to improve its ability to respond rapidly to emerging diseases, a growing concern as climate change intensifies pest and pathogen pressures. GEiGS® offers a solution that combines gene editing and RNA interference (RNAi) to silence specific genes, potentially increasing crop resilience and reducing reliance on chemical inputs.
According to Jack Peart, Chief Development Officer at Tropic, “Tropic’s GEiGS® technology… allows us and other seed companies to develop more resilient, disease-resistant crop varieties that are easier to cultivate, more profitable for farmers and healthier for consumers — thereby benefitting the global food supply chain.”
Syngenta Vegetable Seeds expands toolbox of new breeding technologies
This partnership supports the company’s continued investment in new breeding technologies. The company sees the integration of Tropic’s platform as complementary to its existing innovations, broadening its capabilities in developing sustainable crop solutions for growers worldwide.
