genXtraits Inc. expands collaboration with The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited to increase vitamin C in crops, including corn and soybean

/EIN News/ -- ALAMEDA, Calif. , May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- genXtraits Inc. (genXtraits) today announced that it has expanded its license and collaboration agreement with The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) to apply proprietary technology for increasing Vitamin C levels in crops.

genXtraits and Plant & Food Research entered an agreement in late 2023 under which genXtraits received an option to obtain an exclusive worldwide license under Plant & Food Research’s patents to develop and commercialize certain crops with the elevated vitamin C trait. Having met contractual requirements over the past 18 months, genXtraits has now exercised its exclusive commercial license, as well as broadening the scope of licensed applications. genXtraits’ expanded license includes major row crops, such as corn and soybean, as well as a broad range of bioenergy crops in addition to the original suite of licensed species, which included tomato, potato, peppers and eggplant. Plant & Food Research has retained commercial rights in specific areas, for example including applications in pipfruit, kiwifruit, berryfruit and grapes.

The base license comprises genetic trait technology for elevating the levels of vitamin C in plant cells, which was co-developed by Dr. Roger Hellens, the co-founder of genXtraits, when he was previously a project leader at Plant & Food Research.

“Vitamin C is a very potent cellular protectant against oxidative damage,” said Dr. Hellens. “This particular trait provides a double whammy in terms of its benefits. Higher levels of vitamin C in foods like tomatoes and potatoes can provide a dietary benefit, since the compound promotes iron uptake by the human gut. This could help combat anemia, which is a major problem in many countries, especially those with a predominantly vegetarian diet. Additionally, Vitamin C defends crop cells against stress caused by drought and disease, which means it can also act as a yield stability trait that protects overall crop yield.”

Dr. Peter Cook, General Manager Business Development at Plant & Food Research noted, “We are delighted to expand our partnership with genXtraits. genXtraits has established a unique technical platform, which can deliver novel traits through gene edits that increase the levels of regulatory proteins in crop cells. Their platform has already delivered improvements to the base inventions in the patents owned by Plant & Food Research. Under the terms of the deal, Plant & Food Research enjoys a license-back under this new IP from genXtraits for application in its core crops.”

Dr. Oliver Ratcliffe, CEO of genXtraits commented, “Given the complementarity of genXtrait’s platform with the technology licensed from Plant & Food Research, it made perfect sense to broaden our collaboration. Our shared goal is to implement this important trait in as many crops as possible. To this end, we are looking to add additional partners to participate in our collaboration, especially for applications in corn, soybean, and potatoes and we are actively seeking licensees for the vitamin C trait.”

About genXtraits: genXtraits is a California-based crop genomics company, which was founded in late 2022 by plant biotechnology industry veterans. The firm’s unique selling point is its STRM™ platform for the delivery of dominant genetic traits, which stem from simple gene edits that elevate the cellular levels of important regulatory proteins. The company is focused on developing the next generation of crop traits, which will both protect crop yield in the face of climate change and provide consumers with more delicious and healthy food choices. For more information, please visit: https://genxtraits.com/

Contact: Dr. Oliver J. Ratcliffe (contact@genxtraits.com)

About Plant & Food Research: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited is a Crown Research Institute established under the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992. Plant & Food Research uses world-leading science to support the food sector in improving ways to grow, fish, harvest, prepare and share food. The organization has close to 1,000 people that work across New Zealand and the world to help deliver healthy foods from the world’s most sustainable systems. For more information visit: https://www.plantandfood.com

Contact: Emma Timewell, Communications Manager (emma.timewell@plantandfood.co.nz)