Meiogenix, a biotechnology company harnessing targeted recombination for precision plant breeding, has relocated its U.S. headquarters to Research Triangle Park from Ithaca, New York.
“Plant breeders are the true pioneers in agriculture, and being here in Research Triangle Park feels like opening a door to limitless innovation,” said Ricardo Garcia de Alba, CEO of Meiogenix. “We’re energized by the chance to collaborate with this exceptional community, bringing fresh ideas and transformational technologies to breeders who are shaping the future of food.”
According to Meiogenix, the move positions the company at the heart of RTP’s renowned ecosystem, which is home to leading research universities, R&D centers, major seed and crop science companies, and a deep talent pipeline in plant genetics and biotechnology.
The area’s collaborative network will also help the company expand partnerships with global agribusinesses and research programs developing next-generation crops.
“We’re proud of the foundation we built in Ithaca and at Cornell, and we look forward to building new relationships in North Carolina that will help us scale our impact in agriculture,” Garcia de Alba added. “Together, we can unlock new levels of genetic diversity and deliver solutions that will make a real difference for growers around the world.”
Meiogenix uses targeted recombination and advanced genomics to help plant breeders unlock previously inaccessible genetic diversity harnessed to create resilient, high-yield crops. This approach can address productivity, sustainability and food challenges across crops such as rice, tomato and corn, as well as wheat and oilseeds.
According to the company, the technology can cut breeding time nearly in half, accelerating crop development from more than a decade to as little as three years.
Earlier this year, Meiogenix entered into a collaboration with the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) to develop drought- and disease-resistant tomatoes. The $2 million initiative is funded through a grant from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Seeding Solutions program, which seeks to ensure a stable tomato supply by addressing environmental stress and pathogens with cutting-edge genomics and breeding technologies.
The project will combine high-throughput screening of hundreds of wild tomato species to create a comprehensive genetic map, or pangenome, that captures all genetic variations across tomato species.
The pangenome will make it possible to pinpoint rare genetic variants for drought tolerance and disease resistance. Meiogenix will then apply its targeted recombination platform to precisely transfer the genes for drought tolerance and disease resistance to elite tomato germplasm, a process that avoids introducing undesirable wild traits and does not create GMOs.