Yield10 Bioscience Obtains Nonregulated Status for its Novel CRISPR-Cas9 Triple Gene Edited Camelina Plant Lines to Boost See...
October 02 2018 - 8:00AM
--USDA-APHIS Response Marks
Clearance of Yield10’s First
Triple Genome-edited Plant Lines
Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN), a Company developing new
technologies to create step-change improvements in crop yield to
enhance global food security, announced today that it has received
a positive response from the USDA-APHIS’s Biotechnology Regulatory
Services (BRS) confirming that its genome-edited Camelina sativa
plant lines developed using CRISPR-Cas9 for increased oil content
are not regulated articles under BRS regulations. This
clarification of the regulatory status of the triple genome-edited
Camelina plant lines accelerates the path to conducting field
trials in the United States in 2019. The Company’s submission along
with the USDA-APHIS BRS response is posted on the USDA’s website.
In May 2018, Yield10 submitted an “Am I Regulated?” letter to
the BRS, requesting confirmation of the regulatory status for
Camelina plant lines containing combinations of genetic changes to
increase oil production based on three gene traits: C3008a, C3008b
and C3009. The positive USDA-APHIS response came in the form of a
published letter indicating that the plant lines do not meet the
definition of a regulated article under 7 CFR Part 340. Yield10
believes that this is the first triple genome-edited plant to
receive nonregulated status from USDA-APHIS.
Preliminary results obtained by Yield10 in greenhouse studies
suggest that the triple-edited Camelina lines may have the
potential to increase oil content and to improve the quality of the
oil. Yield10 intends to study these plant lines in field tests
planned for 2019 in the U.S. as part of its development program to
increase oil and seed yield in Camelina and canola for specialty
oils applications.
“Obtaining nonregulated status from USDA-APHIS for our triple
gene-edited Camelina lines designed for enhanced oil content
represents an important technical and regulatory milestone for our
team,” said Kristi Snell, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of Yield10
Bioscience. “This designation also highlights the versatile options
we have for developing commercial crops with one or more novel gene
traits accessible through genome-editing. We look forward to
continuing to develop our oil boosting traits in our Camelina
platform, as well as translating them to canola and
soybean.”
Yield10 Bioscience and Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc., a wholly owned
Canadian subsidiary of Yield10 Bioscience, developed six
genome-edited Camelina lines each containing three traits: C3008a,
C3008b and C3009. The researchers used the CRISPR-Cas9
genome-editing tool to inactivate the three gene targets which
together have the potential to increase seed oil content and
improve oil quality.
“The achievement of nonregulated status for our triple
genome-edited Camelina plant lines highlights our capabilities and
expertise in the development of novel genome edited traits for
oilseed crops,” said Oliver Peoples, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
of Yield10 Bioscience. “Using CRISPR technology, we have been able
to combine, in single plant lines, combinations of specific genetic
changes, each of which in all likelihood occurs individually in
different plants through natural genetic variation. It would have
taken decades of traditional breeding to accomplish these same
outcomes.”
“Focusing on novel traits accessible through genome-editing has
the potential to significantly reduce the expense and timeline to
commercialization for developing novel yield traits in key
commercial row crops. Based on this new potential path to market
enabled through genome-editing, we believe there may be
opportunities for future collaborations around our genome-edited
yield traits for increasing oil content in oilseed crops,” said Dr.
Peoples.
The APHIS BRS determination will allow Yield10 Bioscience to
conduct field testing of its genome-edited Camelina outside of the
Part 340 regulations for genetically engineered organisms. APHIS
also noted in its response letter that “the genetic change” of the
genome-edited Camelina lines “would not increase its weediness”
However, the Company will still be required to follow any EPA or
FDA regulations that may be applicable to the modified plant
line.
About Yield10
Bioscience
Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. is focused on developing new
technologies to achieve step-change improvements in crop yield to
enhance global food security. Yield10 has an extensive track record
of innovation based around optimizing the flow of carbon in living
systems. Yield10 is leveraging its technology platforms and unique
knowledge base to design precise alterations to gene activity and
the flow of carbon in plants to produce higher yields with lower
inputs of land, water or fertilizer. Yield10 is advancing several
yield traits it has developed in crops such as Camelina, canola,
soybean and rice. Yield10 is headquartered in Woburn, MA and has an
Oilseeds Center of Excellence, Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc. in
Saskatoon, Canada.
For more information about the Company, please visit
www.yield10bio.com.
(YTEN-G)
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking
statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future
performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press
release which are not strictly historical, including, without
limitation, statements regarding the Company's ability to achieve a
nonregulated status from USDA-APHIS for future genome-edited crops
and the possibility of using genome-editing technology or
technology approaches using plant DNA exclusively to rapidly deploy
desirable, novel traits into commercial agricultural crops, the
timing for initiation of future testing on the Camelina lines
including field tests, and the potential for collaborations,
constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated, including the risks and uncertainties detailed in
Yield10 Bioscience's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the evolving landscape of intellectual property
rights in the CRISPR area. Yield10 assumes no obligation to update
any forward-looking information contained in this press release or
with respect to the announcements described herein.
Contacts: Yield10
Bioscience:Lynne H. Brum, (617) 682-4693, LBrum@yield10bio.com
Investor Relations Contact:Amato and Partners,
LLCadmin@amatoandpartners.com
Media Inquiries: Eric FischgrundFischtank Marketing and
PReric@fischtankpr.com
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