Pairwise Licenses Six Crop Categories of Gene-Edited Breeding to India's Kaveri

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 27, U.S. agricultural biotechnology company Pairwise reached a technology licensing agreement with India's Kaveri Seed Company Limited, allowing the latter to use the Fulcrum CRISPR gene-editing platform to conduct variety improvement research on six crop categories: corn, cotton, rice, pearl millet, mustard, and vegetables. This is Pairwise's first Fulcrum platform licensing partnership established in India, and the relevant technologies will be integrated into Kaveri Seed's existing hybrid seed R&D system.

Under the agreement, Kaveri Seed will use the Fulcrum platform to improve target traits, with research focusing on crop adaptability to different climatic conditions, stress resistance performance, and agronomic trait optimization. The company's existing business covers hybrid seed R&D, production, and sales, and the licensed technology is planned for application in breeding programs across different agro-ecological zones in India.

The Fulcrum platform integrates multiple gene-editing tools developed by Pairwise, including SHARC nucleases, base-editing tools, and REDRAW template-editing technology. These tools can perform targeted DNA sequence cleavage, base substitution, and specific sequence modification, supporting different types of genetic improvement research under the same technology licensing system.

According to Pairwise's official technical materials, the Fulcrum platform supports multiplex gene editing and integrates AI-assisted R&D tools and a trait resource library. Licensing partners can select the appropriate editing technology based on crop type and target traits to conduct breeding material development and trait validation.

With the addition of Kaveri Seed, the Fulcrum global licensing network now covers more than 30 institutions across six continents, including seed companies, food and beverage companies, universities, and public research institutions, with applications spanning plants, animals, insects, and microorganisms.