SWITZERLAND – The Syngenta Group is advancing its commitment to agricultural innovation and sustainability by providing global academic researchers access to selected genome-editing and breeding technologies.
This initiative, part of Syngenta’s Shoots by Syngenta collaboration platform, aims to foster innovation through strategic partnerships and enhance agricultural research capabilities worldwide.
Among the technologies now accessible through Shoots by Syngenta are optimized CRISPR-Cas12a tools and gene-editing-enabled breeding mechanisms. CRISPR gene-editing technology allows for the rapid and precise improvement of plant traits without incorporating DNA from different species, thus surpassing the efficiency of traditional breeding methods.
“CRISPR technology has incredible potential to enable crop innovation to deliver value to farmers,” said Gusui Wu, Head of Global Seeds Research at Syngenta.
“The increased use of CRISPR in agriculture can transform the way we approach plant breeding, accelerating the discovery and deployment of innovations that provide growers with more productive and resilient crops.”
Advancing agricultural research
Syngenta’s continuous innovation in CRISPR-Cas genome editing has resulted in enhanced tools that significantly optimize crop improvement processes. These advancements are now available to universities and academic institutions worldwide, facilitating collaborative efforts to improve agricultural sustainability.
“We are inviting universities and academic institutions from around the world to help us drive innovation to improve the sustainability of agriculture,” Wu added.
Shoots by Syngenta: A collaborative platform
Launched in 2023, Shoots by Syngenta is designed to foster partnerships and address complex challenges in food and agriculture. The platform connects a global network of over 6,000 scientists with academics, research institutes, start-ups, and cross-industry sectors, promoting scientific discovery and creativity.
“We truly believe collaboration accelerates innovation,” stated Stuart Harrison, Head of Global Seeds R&D partnerships. “This initiative has tremendous potential to not only result in exciting technology innovations but also to drive critical crop solutions that will support farmers worldwide.”
Expanding research capabilities
Adrian Percy, Executive Director of the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative, emphasized the impact of Syngenta’s technologies on their research programs.
“By accessing these innovative technologies from Syngenta, the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative and North Carolina State University can more broadly accelerate its capabilities in genome editing.
“We are excited about the application of these technologies in our research programs as they will certainly enable improvement to a variety of crops to the benefit of the grower community.”
Syngenta has a long-standing tradition of sharing its proprietary technologies with public and private entities for academic and non-profit research purposes.
One notable example is Syngenta’s vegetable licensing platform, which allows breeding companies and academic institutes to access and breed with Syngenta germplasm.
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