Trait Development Pipeline

AgGene's flagship traits target increases in seed protein in a range of globally important food crops. AgGene is developing both GMO and gene-edited varieties of rice, peas, chickpeas, soybeans, and canola. We anticipate the following benefits to our technology: 

1. The production of plant-based protein has a significantly better environmental footprint than animal-based protein production through reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Consumers of protein poor crops (i.e., rice) will be able to add more protein to their diet while eating the same food. The increasing world population is going to intensify demand for protein, with one billion people already suffering from inadequate protein intake. 

3. Higher protein pulse crops will make cultivating pulse crops more attractive. Pulse crops reduce fertilizer usage as they fix their own nitrogen from the air and can leave nitrogen behind for the next crop in the rotation. 

AgGene has identified key players in the regulation of  canola pod morphology and is developing a shatter resistant trait. 

Pod shatter causes significant losses in canola by causing untimely splitting of the pod. The seeds then drop to the ground where they are unable to be harvested. Shatter resistant canola pods also facilitate one-pass harvesting with straight-cut headers and allow longer, more complete ripening of all seeds. 

Pea protein isolate is often strongly flavoured, limiting its palatability and uptake. AgGene and our collaborators are developing gene-edited varieties with superior taste profiles. This will improve pea protein's suitability for use in a wider range of foods.  

AgGene has formed a partnership with researchers at the University of Calgary to develop and commercialize pea varieties with improved essential amino acid proportions. 

AgGene is developing a partnership with academic researchers at the University of Calgary to identify gene targets involved in abiotic stress response and will work to develop agronomic traits from these gene targets.

Drought stress initiates a wide variety of plant responses which can negatively affect plant height, growth, reproduction, fruit production, etc. With and increasingly arid worldwide climate due to climate change, it is vital to develop strategies in crop production that can mitigate the challenges of drought stress 

AgGene and its partners have identified gene targets in the biochemical pathways that synthesize anti-nutritional compounds in a range of pulse crops. Reducing these anti-nutritional compounds can increase the feed conversion ratios of these feeds in non-ruminant animals and increase digestibility in human diets.