WILMINGTON, DE — NAPIGEN, Inc. has been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the use of CRISPR technologies to edit organellar genomes—a breakthrough that could revolutionize agriculture and medicine.
The patent, US11920140, covers methods for altering the genomes of mitochondria or plastids, cellular components often referred to as the powerhouses of cells. Mitochondria are critical elements of plant, fungal, algal, and animal cells, but have historically been considered out of reach for CRISPR genome editing due to difficulties in delivering RNA or DNA into them.
Dr. Emil Orozco, Jr., Vice President of Intellectual Property at NAPIGEN, expressed the company’s commitment to the technology. “Our innovations will help enable greener agriculture with higher yields and effective pest management that lead to less impact on the climate,” he said. “This technology will also help unlock novel approaches for the potential cure of heritable mitochondrial diseases and the production of key industrial biomolecules.”
In addition to the patent, NAPIGEN announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant by the United States Department of Agriculture. This marks the third SBIR grant the biotech company, founded in 2016, has received. The current grant project focuses on developing an herbicide-resistant trait that prevents pollen transmission to weedy plants using the company’s organelle genome engineering technology.
Dr. Byung-Chun Yoo, Director of Business Development, highlighted the potential benefits of the project. “The success of the project will especially help American rice farmers establish longer-lasting and healthier management of detrimental weedy rice and contribute to improved yields,” he said. “Along with the company’s ongoing development of efficient hybrid crop systems, it will help increase the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture and contribute to food security in the United States.”
After raising $8 million in a seed funding round two years ago, NAPIGEN is expecting to complete a Series A financing round this year. The funds raised will be used to advance partnerships with agricultural companies to bring its innovative products to market.
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