Core Insights - Cibus, in collaboration with the John Innes Centre (JIC), has discovered a genetic mutation that enhances nutrient uptake and reduces the need for artificial fertilizers [1][2][3] - The nutrient use efficiency (NUE) trait aims to improve crop yields while decreasing the reliance on nitrates and phosphates [1][4] - Cibus has successfully edited Canola plants with this mutation and is looking forward to further testing and validation [1][3] Company Overview - Cibus is a leading agricultural technology company focused on developing and licensing plant traits to seed companies for royalties [1][7] - The company utilizes proprietary high-throughput gene editing technology to create crop traits more efficiently than conventional breeding methods [7] - Cibus addresses critical productivity and sustainability challenges in agriculture, with an estimated global economic loss of approximately $300 billion annually due to diseases and pests [7] Research and Development - The collaboration with JIC aims to translate their discovery into a trait that enhances plant-microbe interactions, thereby boosting nutrient uptake [2][3] - The NUE trait is expected to lead to more productive and sustainable crops, allowing farmers to use less fertilizer while maintaining yields [3][4] - JIC's research highlights the inefficiency of plants in nutrient absorption, with only about one-third of applied fertilizer typically absorbed [3]
Cibus and John Innes Centre Announce Ongoing Collaboration with Potential to Revolutionize Fertilizer Use in Farming