Origin’s Biotechnology Centre of Beijing Origin Seed, Ltd is currently evaluating the commercial value of these new traits in corn seed production.
Headquartered in Zhong-Guan-Cun (ZGC) Life Science Park in Beijing , China, Origin Agritech Ltd., an agriculture technology company, has announced that it has successfully utilised gene editing technology to create new corn traits. Gene editing refers to editing DNA strands by introducing cuts into the DNA strands, enabling the removal of existing DNA and the insertion of replacement DNA.
The Biotechnology Centre of Beijing Origin Seed, Ltd. (Origin Agritech’s subsidiary) established its gene editing technology platform several years ago. Through collaborations with leading universities and research institutions, the research centre has developed new corn traits, including reducing the plant height, increasing growth period and chloroplast content. The centre is currently evaluating the commercial value of these new traits in corn seed production.
Dr. Gengchen Han, Origin’s Chairman, said, “We are very excited by the possibilities the gene editing technology may bring us. The ability to create new crop traits ideally positions us to capitalize on the broader industry trend of GMO acceptance in China.”
In crop seed biotechnologies, Origin Agritech’s phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China’s Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline including products with glyphosate tolerance and pest resistance (Bt) traits.
