Friedberg claims precision gene editing can achieve plant breeding outcomes 100 times faster than traditional seven to thirteen year cycles.
“What used to be, you know, a seven to thirteen year cycle, you can actually do a 100 times better than that by doing precision gene editing in a year.”
Friedberg sees massive M&A opportunity in genomics and gene editing as they fundamentally threaten big input companies.
“I do think that there's gonna be some big opportunities for the next transformation in agriculture in multiplex precision gene editing, and in metagenomics in the soil microbiome, even in breakthroughs in biologics or other platforms that can discover the next set, or the next range of biologics.”
Friedberg identifies multiplex precision gene editing, soil metagenomics, and biologics as next transformation opportunities in agriculture.
“I do think that there's going be some big opportunities for the next transformation in agriculture in multiplex precision gene editing and in, metagenomics in the soil microbiome, even in breakthroughs in biologics or other platforms that can discover the next, set or the next range of biologics.”
“So what's happened in biologicals is historically input companies would try and inoculate microbes or get them to grow that they were grabbing from the environment.”
Friedberg notes genome sequencing costs dropped from $100 million to $100, enabling microbe identification in soil.
“Twenty years ago it cost $100,000,000 to sequence the human genome. Today it costs 100, and you can do it in a few hours.”