Google works on a lot of seemingly random projects in its “X” division, which is the so-called “moonshot factory” tasked with developing breakthrough technologies to solve some of the world’s hardest problems. While many never see the light of day, several have been spun off into independent startups. The latest is “Heritable Agriculture,” a biotechnology company using artificial intelligence (AI) to create more resilient crops.
Heritable Agriculture describes its work as “making plants programmable.” The company has developed AI models that analyze plant genomes to determine ideal combinations, in a given environment, for improving everything from yield and photosynthetic capacity to taste and nutritional content.
The Heritable platform starts by determining the desired genetics for the specific trait outcome and environment, then determines the quickest path to get there. Overall, Heritable’s technology promises to bring down both the time and costs associated with new crop development.
For now, the company is focused on conventional breeding methods, though gene editing could later play a role, according to founder and CEO, Dr. Brad Zamft. However, the company’s system can specify precise elements to target for desired changes via gene editing. “Gene editing may eventually come, but we’re seeing a huge, unmet need for identifying what to breed and then doing better breeding — crossing a mother and father plant, not using the biotechnology to actually develop the plant.”
Remarkably, Zamft claims Heritable’s system can breed a crop with the right genetics to achieve a desired trait in just one year. Zamft also says the company has already bred plants with specific traits for undisclosed customers, including a better tasting lettuce.
Heritable has included seven different crops in its field trials but is tight-lipped about what specific crops they are currently working on. Zamft does say they intend to focus on “less industrialized” crops that have not experienced the same yield gains as traditional row crops have benefitted from the past few decades. “Oats, barley, rye, chickpea, bok choi, avocados, and grapes: imagine if they all had the kind of gains that we’ve seen in corn over the past 100 years,” Zamft told The Economist in an interview.
Heritable has not revealed a timeline for commercializing any of its crops or technology, although the company is already working with some partners. One of those is “ArborGen,” a global tree seedling provider. ArboGen is hoping Heritage’s system can halve the time needed for tree improvement. Learn more at Heritable Agriculture’s website HERE. (Sources: TechCrunch, The Economist)
