The Tübingen-based bioinformatics company Computomics and the Wageningen-based agricultural biotechnology company Hudson River Biotechnology (HRB) have entered a collaboration to offer an end-to-end solution using CRISPR-based gene editing for novel plant trait development. The joint solution, AccelATrait, utilises machine learning and CRISPR gene editing technologies to deliver new crop varieties with desired traits. The solution is reported to reduce the time to market for novel traits by 3-4 times. The partnership combines Computomics’ expertise in machine learning-based identification of novel gene editing targets without off-target effects, and HRB’s CRISPR gene editing workflow, which is non-transgenic.

BASF Venture Capital and Amathaon Capital acquired a minority stake in Computomics earlier this year (see AgbioNews Oct 14, 2021), whilst HRB recently raised $5.9 million through a Series A funding round (AgbioNews Aug 6, 2021).