CONFERENCE DAY ONE | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2025
8:15 am Check In & Morning Coffee
8:55 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Exploring Novel Technologies to Enhance Gene Editing Capabilities
9:00 am Harnessing the power of targeted meiotic recombination for crop improvement
Synopsis
- Create genetic diversity in low recombination regions in the genome.
- Removal of linkage drag to isolate and enhance traits like disease resistance from wild varieties.
- Development of complex traits—such as flavor and drought tolerance by integrating multiple genetic elements for resilient and productive crops
9:30 am Unlocking Agricultural Potential with CRISPR: Innovations & Advancements in AgBio
Synopsis
- Exploring how CRISPR is transforming agriculture by unlocking new possibilities for crop enhancement and genetic innovation
- Presenting successful CRISPR-driven products, such as Pairwise’s leafy greens and blackberry innovations, demonstrating the tangible impact of gene-editing technology
- Demonstrating how partnerships between small biotech firms and larger industry players amplify innovation and help capture broader opportunities in the AgBio space
10:00 am Unlocking Traits with Native Gene Expression Control
Synopsis
- Harnessing CRE.AI.TIVE™ an AI-driven platform to identify precise genetic changes that yield impactful and resilient plant traits, drastically reducing the time and cost of conventional breeding processes
- Beyond AI, implementing footprint-free genome editing to rapidly introduce traits into crops, achieving scalable improvements across diverse plant species without transgenes
- Driving precision-bred products to market through collaboration to achieve sustainable agriculture, enhance crop resilience, and enable future food systems
10:30 am Morning Break & Speed Networking
Synopsis
Join us for an exciting speed networking session. This fast-paced, high-energy format encourages quick, focused conversations, giving you the opportunity to make meaningful connections with peers, industry experts, and potential collaborators. Break the ice quickly in a structured setting, allowing you to skip the usual networking awkwardness and dive right into meaningful conversations.
Developing Next-Generation Delivery Systems to Overcome Technical Barriers
11:30 am Innovating Gene Editing: Overcoming Delivery Challenges with EDGE™ Technology
Synopsis
- Learning how “Edge” technology addresses the common need for plant regeneration during transformation, improving efficiency in gene editing processes
- Exploring the key features of the “Edge” system and its role in advancing CRISPR applications for crops like tomatoes, melons, and cucumbers
- Understanding how BetterSeeds integrates delivery technology into broader product development strategies, accelerating commercialization of edited plant varieties
12:00 pm Precision Genome Engineering for Commercial Crops: Enhancing CRISPR Efficiency and Transformation
Synopsis
- Streamlining high-throughput genome engineering pipelines using advanced plant tissue culture and transformation techniques (biolistic and Agrobacterium) for efficient trait development in commercial crops
- Optimizing CRISPR gene editing tools to improve efficiency, specificity, and application across different crops, addressing challenges like disease resistance and climate adaptability
- Refining gene delivery, selection, and regeneration protocols through proprietary technologies and innovative problem-solving to push the boundaries of traditional plant breeding and transformation methods
Improving Trait & Crop Selection to Meet Market & Environmental Demands
12:30 pm Harnessing Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Enhanced Protein Delivery in Plant Biotechnology
Synopsis
- Highlight the benefits of using CPPs over traditional delivery methods (e.g. Agrobacterium, biolistics)
- Explore potential future applications of CPP technology in enhancing crop traits, such as disease resistance and stress tolerance
- Discuss the integration of CPPs into existing plant transformation protocols and their role in advancing sustainable agriculture practices
Lunch
2:00 pm Advancing Non-Transgenic Trait Development in Specialty Crops
Synopsis
- Overcoming the challenge of transforming plants without inserting transgenes to preserve existing commercial traits in vegetatively propagated crops
- Addressing the unique difficulties of working with orphan or underdeveloped crops like black raspberries, requiring complete sequencing and transformation technology development
- Leveraging insights from successful transformations in crops like blackberries to accelerate trait development in other crops, such as cherries
2:30 pm Domestication of a New Cover Crop: Enhancing Trait Selection for Climate- Resilient Agriculture
Synopsis
- Strategies for selecting traits that support off-season growth and adaptability to changing climate conditions
- Integrating CRISPR and advanced gene-editing tools to accelerate crop domestication
- Aligning trait development with market demands for sustainability and environmental resilience
3:00 pm Improving Food System Sustainability Using Seedesign
Synopsis
- Leveraging the natural diversity of seed to develop crops that improve the sustainability of food production
- Identifying novel editing targets using AI-powered predictive design
- Utilizing comprehensive multiplex editing toolbox to make changes to the genome and affect plant phenotype
3.30 pm Afternoon Break & Poster Session
4:00 pm Increasing Yield by Editing Crops for Climate Resilience to Increase Survival & Productivity
Synopsis
- Developing gene-edited crops that thrive in changing climates by focusing on traits that improve a plant’s ability to withstand stressors such as heat and drought
- Targeting drought and soil salinity resistance to boost yield through precise genetic modifications that enhance crops’ survival and productivity
- Providing examples of increased crop productivity through gene editing to illustrate how these innovations have already led to improved yields
Enhancing Collaboration & Investment Strategies to Accelerate Innovation in Gene-Editing for AgBio
4:30 pm Fireside Chat: Fostering Collaboration to Drive Innovation in AgBio
Synopsis
- Building successful partnerships between industry, academia, and government by fostering collaboration that leverages expertise from all sectors to accelerate innovation and product development
- Leveraging joint expertise to speed up product development by combining scientific research, regulatory knowledge, and market insights to bring gene-edited products to market faster and more efficiently
- Sharing examples of effective collaboration leading to breakthrough innovations to highlight how multi-sector partnerships have driven the successful development and commercialization of gene-edited crops
5:15 pm Securing Investments for the Future of Gene Editing
Synopsis
- Understanding the investment landscape for AgBio and gene-editing technologies by exploring current funding trends and opportunities for gene-editing startups and emerging technologies
- Implementing strategies for securing funding for new gene-edited products by identifying key investor interests and aligning projects with market trends to attract financial backing
- Identifying key trends shaping the future of gene-editing startups and innovations by examining emerging technologies and investment opportunities that will define the next decade of agricultural biotech