Cibus and Biographica to collaborate on identifying gene editing targets for Cibus’ disease resistance trait development
Biographica’s proprietary AI platform linked with Cibus’ crop editing abilities provide opportunities for discovery and commercial application
SAN DIEGO and LONDON, Nov. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cibus, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBUS), a leading agricultural technology company that develops and licenses plant traits to seed companies for royalties, and Biographica, a UK-based leader in AI and graph machine learning for gene discovery, are pleased to announce a collaborative pilot project focused on advancing disease resistance in oilseed rape and Canola.
This partnership leverages Biographica’s proprietary platform to identify and prioritize targets for gene editing, aiming to develop resistance against critical diseases impacting crop health, yield and quality.
Under this agreement, Biographica will utilize its cutting-edge AI and machine learning technology to analyze gene targets associated with disease resistance in oilseed rape and Canola and set the stage for future crop improvement strategies.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in unlocking the potential of advanced machine learning for agricultural innovation,” said Cecy Price, CEO at Biographica. “Combining Biographica’s unique machine learning trait discovery platform with Cibus’ expertise in crop trait development allows us to unlock new insights into disease resistance, paving the way for more resilient crops and sustainable agricultural practices.”
Tony Moran, Senior Vice President for International Development at Cibus, added, “We are excited to work alongside Biographica to identify impactful gene targets, enabling the development of crop varieties that can withstand disease pressure in the field with benefits for farmers, the environment, and food security.”
Dr. Greg Gocal, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, added, “We have made plant disease resistance an important pillar of our work. This is a critically important need in farming. Developing durable disease resistance in plants will require identifying multiple modes of action. This partnership with Biographica is an important extension of our work in building our inventory of gene targets associated with developing different modes of action for this important trait.”
The collaboration reflects a commitment by both companies to push the boundaries of crop science and contribute to sustainable agriculture. This pilot project has the potential to accelerate the delivery of improved crop varieties with advanced disease resistant traits to farmers worldwide.
About Biographica
Biographica, Ltd. is a UK-based company specializing in advanced machine learning algorithms for target discovery. Their proprietary Biographica Platform enables researchers to identify and prioritize gene targets effectively, supporting breakthroughs in gene editing and other advanced biological applications.
About Cibus
Cibus is a leading independent plant trait company that develops and licenses plant traits to seed companies for royalties. Cibus is not a seed company, but rather a technology company that uses its proprietary gene editing technology to develop and commercialize plant traits at a fraction of the time and cost of conventional breeding. Cibus’ strategy is focused on commercializing productivity traits for the world’s major row crops with large acreage such as: canola, rice, and soybean. The Company targets traits that help manage farmers’ seed productivity, economics and sustainability challenges such as weeds, disease, and insects. The United Nations estimates that the impacts from these challenges cost the global economy approximately $300 billion annually. Cibus has a current portfolio of six traits, three of which are in commercial development and four of which are multi-crop traits associated with weed management and disease, including Sclerotinia resistance and a new weed management trait which are in advanced greenhouse and field trial stages.
CIBUS CONTACTS:
INVESTOR RELATIONS
Karen Troeber
ktroeber@cibus.com
858-450-2636
Jeff Sonnek – ICR
jeff.sonnek@icrinc.com
MEDIA RELATIONS
media@cibus.com
Colin Sanford
colin@bioscribe.com
203-918-4347
