Friedberg argues CRISPR Cas9's market arrival ten years ago was more consequential than Climate Corp's billion-dollar acquisition.
“And since then, hundreds of other gene editing tools have come to market, many of which are open sourced or royalty free”
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 says Ohalo has proven theorized gene editing approach to dramatically increase crop yields.
“And then seeing this outcome that we had theorized, all of that has now been proven with this business.”
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 says precision gene editing compresses plant breeding from seven to thirteen years down to one year, 100 times faster.
“So there's a massive transformation happening in plant breeding. 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, and in biologics, there's so many products that seem to have extraordinary potential at replacing traditional inputs, biopesticides, bio fertilizers,”
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.”
Friedberg reports seeing 50% per-acre yield increases in plants by simply turning genes on or off.
“having seen how turning certain genes on or off in a plant can extraordinarily expand the productivity of that plant and increase farmers' yields by 50% per acre, by just turning a gene off.”
Friedberg says turning genes on or off can increase farmer yields by 50% per acre, capabilities impossible ten years ago.
“It really is astounding what we can do today that we literally couldn't do ten years ago.”