Leveraging a grant from the Israel Innovation Authority, the
alliance sets out to improve crustacean traits including growth
rate, disease resistance, and environmental adaptation.
HAZEVA and REHOVOT, Israel, Oct. 31,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Colors Farm Ltd, a cutting-edge
company in sustainable aquaculture and biotech and Evogene Ltd.
("Evogene") (NASDAQ: EVGN) (TASE: EVGN), a leading computational
biology company aiming to revolutionize life-science product
discovery and development, today announced a collaboration with
Ben-Gurion University (BGU), a renowned
Israeli academic research institution, to develop gene editing
technology for crustaceans. This synergistic collaboration will
focus on crustaceans — specifically targeting giant freshwater
prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), white leg shrimp
(Litopenaeus vannamei) and red swamp crayfish
(Procambarus clarkii), to enhance key traits such as growth
rate, disease resistance, and environmental adaptation. The
initiative has received a competitive grant from the Israel
Innovation Authority (IIA), cementing its role as a pioneering
endeavor in the realm of precision agriculture.
In the context of an escalating global demand for seafood, this
collaboration is both timely and strategic. The global shrimp
market, which stood at US$ ~66 billion in 2022, is predicted to
increase to US$ ~88 billion by 2028, showcasing a Compound Annual
Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.7% from 2023 to 20281.
Concurrently, the global crayfish market, valued at US$ ~16.19
billion in 2023, and is further expected to grow at a CAGR of
31.5% over the forecast period of 2024-20322. These
growing markets are driven by a rising appetite for seafood and an
increasing emphasis on sustainable aquaculture practices,
making the collaboration exceptionally relevant to meet these
demands.
Each partner brings a distinct set of capabilities and expertise
to this multi-faceted project: Colors Farm will craft specialized
solutions tailored to the gene editing requirements of giant
freshwater prawn and white leg shrimp; Evogene will leverage its
advanced GeneRator AI tech-engine to provide predictions for
optimal guide RNAs (gRNAs), thereby facilitating precise gene
editing through CRISPR technology; and Prof. Amir Sagi of Ben-Gurion
University (BGU), a world-renowned crustacean researcher,
will develop a gene-editing platform for P. clarkii and
spearhead the research and development process.
By pooling their unique strengths, this collaboration aims to
provide a sustainable solution to existing limitations in gene
editing for non-model organisms with sparse genomic data and
protocols.
Prof. Amir Sagi,
Ben-Gurion University: "We are honored
to be part of this project. Gene editing is a powerful tool that
can enhance the economics and sustainability of crustacean
production. We believe this collaboration will lead to significant
advances in the aquaculture industry."
Ran Epstein, CEO of Colors Farm, emphasized the potential
impact of gene editing on crustacean production: "This
collaboration represents a major step forward for aquaculture. Gene
editing has the power to revolutionize crustacean production, and
we are excited to work with Evogene and BGU to turn this potential
into reality."
"We are pleased to collaborate with Colors Farm and BGU on this
significant endeavor" said Nir
Arbel, CPO of Evogene: "Through precise modifications of
crustacean genomes, gene editing can enhance desired traits and
minimize environmental impact. We believe that through this
collaboration Evogene will be able to leverage its knowledge and
algorithmic capabilities, developed in its GeneRator AI
tech-engine, to design predictive gene editing solutions for
organisms that lack complete and exhaustive genomic and proteomic
data. We believe this will open up the gene editing market to many
additional Agri-tech companies."
About Evogene:
Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN) (TASE: EVGN) is a computational
biology company leveraging big data and artificial
intelligence, aiming to revolutionize the development of
life-science based products by utilizing cutting-edge technologies
to increase the probability of success while reducing development
time and cost.
Evogene established three unique tech-engines -
MicroBoost AI, ChemPass
AI and GeneRator AI. Each tech-engine is
focused on the discovery and development of products based on one
of the following core components: microbes (MicroBoost AI),
small molecules (ChemPass AI), and genetic elements
(GeneRator AI).
Evogene uses its tech-engines to develop products through
strategic partnerships and collaborations, and its five
subsidiaries including:
- Biomica Ltd. (www.biomicamed.com) developing
and advancing novel microbiome-based therapeutics to treat human
disorders powered by MicroBoost AI;
- Lavie Bio Ltd.
(www.lavie-bio.com) -
developing and commercially advancing, microbiome
based ag-biologicals powered by
MicroBoost AI;
- AgPlenus Ltd.
(www.agplenus.com)
-developing next generation ag chemicals for effective
and sustainable crop protection powered by ChemPass
AI;
- Canonic Ltd.
(www.canonicbio.com) –
developing medical cannabis products based on decoding plant
genetics for optimized therapeutic effect powered
by GeneRator AI; and
- Casterra Ag Ltd.
(www.casterra.co)– developing and
marketing superior castor seed varieties producing high yield and
high-grade oil content, on an industrial scale for the
biofuel and other industries powered
by GeneRator AI.
For more information, please visit: www.evogene.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release
contains "forward-looking statements" relating to future events.
These statements may be identified by words such as "may", "could",
"expects", "hopes" "intends", "anticipates", "plans", "believes",
"scheduled", "estimates", "demonstrates" or words of similar
meaning. For example, Evogene and its subsidiaries are using
forward-looking statement in this press release when it discusses
the sucess of the collaboration to enhance key traits such as
growth rate, disease resistance, and environmental adaptation, the
expected increase of the global shrimp market
and global crayfish market, the potential impact
of gene editing on crustacean production and the to ability to
design predictive gene editing solutions for organisms that lack
complete and exhaustive genomic and proteomic data. Such statements
are based on current expectations, estimates, projections and
assumptions, describe opinions about future events, involve certain
risks and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and are not
guarantees of future performance. Therefore, actual future results,
performance or achievements of Evogene and its subsidiaries may
differ materially from what is expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, many of
which are beyond the control of Evogene and its subsidiaries,
including, without limitation, the current war between Israel and Hamas and any worsening of the
situation in Israel such as
further mobilizations or escelation in the northen boarder of
Israel, and those risk factors
contained in Evogene's reports filed with the applicable securities
authority. In addition, Evogene and its subsidiaries rely, and
expect to continue to rely, on third parties to conduct certain
activities, such as their field-trials and pre-clinical studies,
and if these third parties do not successfully carry out their
contractual duties, comply with regulatory requirements or meet
expected deadlines, Evogene and its subsidiaries may experience
significant delays in the conduct of their activities. Evogene and
its subsidiaries disclaim any obligation or commitment to update
these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or
developments or changes in expectations, estimates, projections,
and assumptions.
Contacts
Rachel Pomerantz Gerber
Head of Investor Relations at Evogene
rachel.pomerantz@evogene.com
Tel: +972-8-9311901
1 https://www.imarcgroup.com/prefeasibility-report-shrimp-processing-plant
2
https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/crayfish-market
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SOURCE Evogene