To boost crop yields and stress tolerance, one biotech startup turns to epigenetics

Could Epigenetics Help Feed

The news that’s arrived is that TechAccel, the Kansas City-based technology and venture development company, announced it has completed an equity investment in Epicrop Technologies Inc., an agriculture biotechnology company developing revolutionary epigenetic technology to improve crop yields.

[T]he Lincoln, Neb.-based startup co-founded by Dr. Sally Mackenzie, a pioneer in epigenetics in agriculture, has been able to epigenetically improved plants—including soybeans, tomatoes and sorghum—which have shown increased yields and stress tolerance.

“Increasing yield and stress tolerance are key goals of most seed companies,” said Epicrop CEO Dr. Michael Fromm. “Epicrop’s method has the potential to provide these traits” he added, “by adding epigenetic information directly to the seeds of commercial varieties without adding any genetic material. The unique features of this method readily fit into traditional commercial breeding and seed production methods to facilitate company adoption of this system.”

“We believe Dr. Mackenzie’s research may represent the most important breakthrough in crop breeding technology of this era,” said [Jeff] Raikes [the principal of North Forty Ventures and the lead investor in this investment round in Epicrop] of this emerging company….

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Express Yourself: The coming revolution in crop yields via epigenetics

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