As is often experienced in the biotechnology industry during periods of innovation and rapid ascent toward commercialization, the agriculture sector is currently undergoing a period of excitement as well as reflection surrounding its own recent technological advancements.
The discussion and debate surrounding advances in agriculture have become frequent topics of discussion as the pros and cons of technologies like genetically engineered foods (often referred to as GMOs) and the use of organic versus non-organic agricultural methods continue to creep their way into consumer consciousness and the grocery aisle. However, now more than ever, the concept of genome editing a plant’s actual biological makeup using a precise method such as CRISPR is becoming more prevalent in the agtech conversation.
Think of CRISPR technology as a pair of molecular scissors that allow scientists to make precise changes to the plant genome, such as a deletion to inactivate a gene or an insertion of plant DNA to add a trait or function to the plant. To receive nonregulated status, the changes made to plants using CRISPR technology must only use plant DNA, not non-plant DNA. In essence, CRISPR technology enables scientists for the first time to tap into the genetic diversity of plants to utilize genes that are already present in the plant kingdom.
For all the technological progress that has been made in North American agriculture, including the development of hybrids, the deployment of biotech traits, and the use of precision agriculture methods, there are still major unmet needs in the industry. Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, water shortages, and a reduction in arable land are all frequent reminders that we need to innovate much further. With demand growing for food and protein as human populations increase and become more prosperous, step-change improvements in crop yield could help growers begin to address the challenge of global food security. New technologies, such as CRISPR, can also be deployed to improve the nutritional profile of some crops –producing higher-fiber wheat and healthier oils are near-term examples.
The role the USDA has played over the past few years to spur innovation in agriculture cannot be understated. In 2018, the USDA issued a statement from Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue clarifying its position on CRISPR-use, one that emphasized it will not over-regulate the use of the technology in the sector, thus “green-lighting” gene-editing crops moving forward.
This decision marked an important inflection point for the agriculture industry, as a number of companies and universities have spurred forward in advancing their crop technologies. A review of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website shows a significant number of crop technologies that have already or since been cleared by the regulatory body, including those from Calyxt (wheat/TALEN technology), Benson Hill (corn), DuPont Pioneer (corn), and Simplot’s (potato) submission from last year, among others.
For our part, Yield10 received non-regulated status from APHIS in September 2017 for a genome-edited Camelina plant. Our company is in the process of developing several novel yield, oil content, and drought-tolerant traits, relying upon CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing to create positive impacts in plants including Camelina, canola, soybean, rice, and other agriculturally significant crops. While we are testing our C3008 trait in our 2018 field test program, we’ve also recently completed genome-editing of a Camelina line using three stacked oil content traits, receiving non-regulated status from USDA-APHIS in September 2018 that enables us to plan for field testing in 2019. Our triple-edited Camelina plant lines are based on an oil biosynthesis pathway engineered directly into the plant — all based upon CRISPR-genome editing.
In addition to our work using CRISPR technology in canola and Camelina, we are also identifying new ways to utilize gene and genome-editing technology to improve the DNA, seed yield, and crop tolerance of one of the highest value commercial crops in the United States — corn. Our recently initiated early development program in corn introduces new traits that have clearly demonstrated the capability to impact photosynthesis and biomass yield in other crops, an indication that we may experience the same positive results and progress in corn.
Many of the advancements made by our company and others have involved contributions by leading academic scientists coupled with the innovations developed by public and private companies. Yield10, for example, has accessed CRISPR technology for use in agriculture through a research agreement with the Broad Institute and Pioneer (part of Corteva Agriscience) to combine our expertise in metabolic modeling to identify new targets for yield with the ability to deploy the new traits using CRIPSR technology. We are hopeful that a shift may be underway in the industry away from the traditional competitive models that often slowed biotech innovation, and toward creating access to technology and plant expertise through licensing agreements and joint research projects. This concept would ultimately create an innovation ecosystem that enables new breakthroughs in yield and nutritional traits that will benefit growers and consumers alike.
Many believe that the USDA and its position on genome editing will one day be remembered for paving the way for ground-breaking technologies that will have a very real impact on availability and quality of food around the world. This increased crop yield goes beyond “just” feeding hungry populations in developing nations, but would also result in a significantly positive impact on healthcare costs in more developed nations as a result of improving the nutritional profiles of widely consumed oils and food ingredients. As universities and companies continue bringing this vision into focus, we believe the future for agtech and CRISPR innovation is very bright.
Oliver Peoples, Ph.D., is president and CEO of Yield10 Bioscience, which is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security.
