The company performs gene editing and genetic modification of plants. PlantArc developed a unique patented platform, that can identify genes that will enhance the resistance of different kinds of plants in tough environmental conditions
In case you haven’t heard of it, get to know PlantArcBio – an Israeli startup company in the agrotech field. The company created technology that helps in identifying new genes to improve plants characteristics and plant breeding, in order to contribute to the security and stability of the global agriculture and food market.
PlantArc was founded in 2014 by Dr. Dror Shalitin, a scientist with decades of experience in research and development of plants. The company consists of 10 employees and is located in Givat Hen
Climate change, environmental conditions and the increase in drought are some of the main factors causing the decline of crop yields globally. According to FAO and other studies’ data, about 50% of agricultural crops get discarded due to pests, weather-related damages, environmental conditions, diseases and weeds.
Researchers say that in the crop growth stage, there is a loss of yielded crops of up to 35% in developed countries and a loss of an additional 15% in developing countries. We all pay the price, by wasting resources, usage of additional chemicals and harming the environment.
This reality led to the founding of companies such as PlantArc, which work on solutions to these severe problems.
How does it work
The company performs genetic modification and gene editing in plants. Genetic modification takes a new gene, that does not already exist in the plant, and inserts it into the plant to improve required characteristics such as drought resistance.
Gene editing gives the option of editing an existing plant’s gene in a precise and particular way. Gene editing, unlike genetic modification, allows for a quicker way to the farmer, with little to no regulation.
PlantArc technology allows for direct gene testing of plants, contrary to companies who perform the test using computational models.
The ultimate goal is to license the usage of discovered or edited genes. That way, the largest seed companies in the world, can improve seed resistance and farmers will enjoy a better crop.
The uniqueness of PlanArc
PlantArc developed a unique patented technology – Direct In Plant (DIP) – able to discover genes that will increase certain plants’ resistance to bad environmental conditions.
The company focuses on gene discovery or gene breeding of genes that will improve plants’ resistance to heat, salinity, water deprivation, insects, diseases and even herbicides.
By using this innovative technology, the company already discovered genes, including ones that were discovered in the dead sea, that improve drought resistance and were tested by Wisconsin University’s scientists in soybean fields.
What kind of crops are they working with
PlantArc focuses on improving crops of corn, soybean, canola and cotton. The company has developed a few products that are designed to ensure crop protection.
Products such as yield enhancer in Canola with ICL, a device for protective protection of plants against diseases and nematodes that hurt the root system of the plant and cause substantial crop loss, a device enabling plants resistance to herbicides by external spraying and not a chemical one, in collaboration with KWS. They are now working on improving the performance of plant soil and it does not stop there.
Red Palm Weevil in Israel
The company also made advancements in local agriculture. Together with Gadot Agro, the company developed an environment-friendly device to help the fight against red palm weevil.
This weevil attacks palm trees, feeds off them and causes them to fall. The spray identifies a gene in the pest and harms it in a way that does not affect the palm trees and the environment.
The company started a licensing process in Israel, and the goal is that in 2 years they will launch the product.
Cannabis Breeding
In collaboration with a global Cannabis company, PlantArc launched a Cannabis gene-based innovation called Targene.
Targene growth technology focuses on 3 departments: development of new systems for the production of active ingredients in medical Cannabis, growth of Cannabis cells and gene editing in Cannabis features – frequency and cleanliness.
This is a revolutionary improvement because some of the goals include the production of the plant at a high sterile level and the shortening of the growth time from 4 months to 2 weeks only.
Dr. Dror Shalitin says that he was always interested in agriculture, ever since he was a child and his father, Gadi Shalitin, worked in agriculture and was the director general of the ministry of agriculture.
Dr. Dror Shalitin works in the field for over 30 years; he was a postdoctoral researcher in the US and published many papers in esteemed journals in the US.
Later on he held a senior position in evogene, which is being traded in the stock market at a high market value. He was a cancer and plant diseases researcher. In 2014 he founded PlantArc.
