A new Monsanto-backed company is on the verge of producing the first fruit made with a blockbuster gene-editing tool that could revolutionise agriculture

• In a move aimed at securing its future, Monsanto has invested $US125 million in a gene-editing startup called Pairwise.
• The alliance could tee up Monsanto, long known for its controversial dealings with farmers and its role in popularising genetically modified organisms, to introduce some of the first produce made using the blockbuster gene-editing tool Crispr.
• In a call with Business Insider, the company hinted that strawberries or another type of fruit would be among the first Crispr produce to hit grocery-store shelves – a development it expects within five to 10 years.

In a move aimed at securing a place in the rapidly evolving food technology scene, the agricultural giant Monsanto has invested $US125 million in a gene-editing startup called Pairwise.

The alliance could tee up Monsanto, long known for its controversial dealings with farmers and its role in popularising genetically modified organisms, to introduce some of the first produce made using the blockbuster gene-editing tool Crispr. Sweeter strawberries with a longer shelf life could be among the earliest offerings.

The tool allows scientists to accurately target specific problem areas within the genome of a living thing, opening up the potential to tweak the DNA of everything from row crops like corn and soy to produce like apples and asparagus to make the produce taste sweeter, last longer on the shelf, and even tolerate drought or flooding.

Monsanto and Pairwise aim to get some of the first fruits and vegetables made with Crispr on grocery-store shelves within five to 10 years, Tom Adams, who previously served as Monsanto’s vice president of global biotechnology but will leave the company to become the CEO of Pairwise, told Business Insider on Monday.

If successful, the move could help the company skirt the misinformation that has plagued previous gene-editing tools like GMOs. Read more

Erin Brodwin - Business Insider Australia - 28 Mar 2018