Page 17 - AWA Vol.41-No.3
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HORTICULTURE
a sound choice for sustainabili-
ty-minded growers — which we Verinomics Introduces Transgene-Free Gene
believe encompasses the CEA in- Editing and Genomic-Driven Accelerated
dustry as a whole.
In a Cradle-to-Grave carbon Breeding Platforms for Specialty Crops
footprint assessment comparing
erinomics, a leader in agricultural
OASIS® AeroMax™ to two peat- Vgenomics and gene editing, today
based products, including one unveiled two breakthrough platforms
of our own, the CO2 equivalent designed to accelerate specialty crop
emissions for Pressed Peat were innovation: Genesis™, a transgene-
more than 40 times higher than free gene editing platform, primarily resource constraints,” said Gio Scalzo,
an equivalent OASIS® AeroMax™ for vegetatively propagated crops and Chief Operating Officer at Verinomics.
Genova™, a genomic-driven breeding
plug. Gravity Filled Loose Plugs acceleration platform for both seed and “By combining AIpowered genomic
came in with CO2e emissions vegetatively propagated crops. Togeth- analysis with our transgene-free editing
capabilities, we’re enabling the rapid
12.5 times higher than our equiv- er, these technologies streamline trait development of improved crop varieties
alent engineered substrate plug. discovery and product development, de- that would take decades through con-
livering high-value, market-ready crops
If you know us at all, you under- faster than ever before. ventional breeding methods.”
stand that we’re serious about With $13 million raised, Verinomics has Verinomics’ technology is already de-
improving the sustainability of all built a genomics-driven breeding and livering results through strategic part-
our engineered substrates even transgenefree editing pipeline, forged nerships, including a multi-year col-
laboration with Burchell Nursery, one of
more. Are we there yet? Not quite. several key partnerships, and developed the top almond nurseries in the United
But we will be — and our custom- proprietary tools to accelerate product States.
ers will be there with us, too. development. Verinomics follows a part-
ner-first model, working with nurseries, “Our partnership with Verinomics has
Available When And Where seed companies, and growers to co-de- yielded breakthrough solutions for long-
You Need Us velop high-value products with shared standing challenges in almond produc-
intellectual property. tion,” said Tom Burchell, Burchell Nursery
A final point we want to make to- Owner. “Their gene editing approach to
“We founded Verinomics with a vision
day is about reliability. Structural- to harness genomic technologies to self-compatibility is transforming our
ly, our OASIS® AeroSubstrates™ solve urgent challenges in agriculture,” almond growing operations to increase
are so reliable they’re used by said Dr. Stephen Dellaporta, Verinomics’ yields while reducing resource require-
AgBiotech researchers in rigor- President, Founder, and Professor at Yale ments. What sets Verinomics apart is
their commitment to understanding our
ous research. But, even more im- University. “Our precision breeding plat- specific needs as a nursery owner be-
portantly, you can also rely on the form combines chromosome-level ge- fore developing solutions, rather than
nome assemblies, population genomics,
OASIS® AeroSubstrates™ supply AI-based trait identification, and trans- pushing technology for technology’s
chain. Our established global gene-free gene editing, allowing us to sake.”
presence and international man- rapidly identify the genetic architecture Burchell Nursery is currently taking
ufacturing capacity ensure a sta- of valuable traits and develop enhanced, first-come, first-serve orders for Nonpa-
ble, reliable availability for grow- edited varieties without introducing for- reil+ almond variety for 2027.
eign DNA.”
ers and distributors worldwide. “The Company differentiates itself by
The Genesis™ platform unlocks pre- starting with producer and consumer
Once OASIS® AeroSubstrates™ cise gene editing across multiple crops, needs, then develops tailored solutions
are on site at your operation, including vegetatively propagated to meet those needs. Their proven tech-
they’re available when you need crops, overcoming breeding constraints nology platforms, world-class team, and
them there, too. Our ready-on-de- and bringing innovation to historically commercial traction make them a com-
mand, preloaded singulated OA- underserved crops. Meanwhile, Geno- pelling investment as they prepare to
va™ integrates AI and computational bi-
raise growth capital.” said Randall Lewis,
SIS® AeroSubstrates™ PlugTrays ology to optimize genomic selection and Managing Partner at Cleveland Avenue
and grower-ready OASIS® Aero- trait identification to dramatically accel- and Verinomics board member.
Substrates™ PlugSheets — pre- erate breeding cycles for both seed and Looking ahead, Verinomics is prepar-
dibbled for single or multi-seed, vegetatively propagated crops. ing for growth financing to scale its
undibbled for microgreens — are Verinomics collaborates directly with Genesis™ and Genova™ platforms to
ready to save your automated or nurseries, seed companies, growers and expand into new high-value crop sec-
producers to identify high-value traits
manual operation time and labor. with clear market benefits. This co-de- tors, and to drive broader adoption of
And they’re ready to elevate your velopment model ensures tailored so- next-generation non-GMO breeding
solutions. These efforts are designed to
results with improved uniformity, lutions and greater value for the entire accelerate crop resilience, nutrition and
better quality, higher yields, and supply and value chain. sustainability – bringing science-driven
crop cycles up to 20% shorter “Agriculture faces unprecedented innovation to market faster than ever be-
than their predecessors. challenges from disease pressure and fore. Circle 20 on enquiry card
Circle 19 on enquiry card
Vol. 41 No. 3 15
