CONFERENCE DAY ONE | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2025
7:15 am Check In & Morning Coffee
8:25 am Chairs’ Opening Remarks
Exploring Novel Technologies to Enhance Gene Editing Capabilities
8:30 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
9:00 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
9:30 am Rapid Trait Development System™ (RTDS®) Advances Plant Breeding Techniques Through an End-to-End Semi-Automated Gene Editing Platform
Synopsis
- RTDS® is a suite of technologies that enables multiplexed gene editing within single cells, called protoplasts. These edited protoplasts are regenerated into shoots with new trait(s) such as higher yield, disease resistance or sustainable ingredients
- RTDS has been developed in a multitude of commercially relevant crops such as canola, rice, wheat, potato, among others
- Since all crops can be reduced to single cells, a stand-alone semi-automated end-to-end gene editing production process has been deployed call the Trait Machine™ This allows for testing new trait phenotypes in customer elite germplasm in field trials within 2-3 years from project ideation
- This process has been used to develop traits such as herbicide tolerance in rice, as well as healthier oils and higher yields in canola
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
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
Improving Trait & Crop Selection to Meet Market & Environmental Demands
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 Plant Intelligence: Optimizing Gene Editing for Next-Generation Crop Traits with DIPPER™ Platform
Synopsis
- From Discovery to Precision: Explore the evolution from PlantArcBio’s DIP™ platform to DIPPER™, advancing gene discovery into optimized mutation discovery for improved gene-editing outcomes
- Optimizing CRISPR Efficiency: Learn how DIPPER™ is positioned to serve as an essential preliminary tool for CRISPR when enhanced gene expression is required, maximizing the precision and efficiency of gene-editing efforts
- Real-World Impact: See how DIPPER™ enables the development of key traits, such as herbicide tolerance, drought resilience, and nutrition improvement, with a focus on its first proof-of-concept in herbicide-tolerant soybean
2:45 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
3:15 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
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
4:45 pm Panel Discussion: 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
5:30 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