[보도자료_해외] DNA Harvest Partners and ToolGen Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate AI-Guided Predictive Breeding for Gene-Edited Crops
주식회사 툴젠
|2026.08.06
DNA Harvest Partners and ToolGen Announce Strategic Partnership
to Accelerate AI-Guided Predictive Breeding for Gene-Edited Crops
DNA Harvest Partners Pte. Ltd. (DNAHP), one of the world's most advanced AI-guided predictive breeding companies, and ToolGen, a global leader in CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, today announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of superior rapeseed (Brassica napus) varieties through the integration of artificial intelligence-driven predictive breeding with cutting-edge genome editing.
Under the agreement, DNAHP will deploy its proprietary SmartCross™ breeding platform and Gene Editing Optimization (GEO) ™ framework to enhance the performance of rapeseed, one of ToolGen's key gene-edited crop programs — combining ToolGen's world-class CRISPR-Cas9 editing capabilities with DNAHP's multi-model AI system to identify optimal genetic backgrounds, accelerate variety development timelines, and maximize the commercial impact of edited traits.
Bridging Genome Editing and Predictive Intelligence
ToolGen, headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, has been a pioneering force in gene editing since 1999 and holds foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patents for applications in eukaryotic cells. The company's crops division focuses on improving the traits of major agricultural crops by editing their genetic information to address global food security and climate challenges.
DNA Harvest Partners brings to this collaboration an AI platform that integrates genomic data, phenotypic information, and environmental variables to guide breeding decisions — from early germplasm characterization through cross design, line advancement, and variety placement. Historically, this level of predictive capability has been the exclusive domain of large multinational agricultural companies. DNAHP's mission is to make it accessible to companies of all sizes, globally.
Leadership Perspectives
Dr. Thomas Brutnell, CEO and Co-Founder, DNA Harvest Partners:
“Gene editing opens the door to precise, targeted improvements in crops — but the genetic background in which an edit is expressed can make or break its performance in the field. By pairing ToolGen’s world-class editing capabilities with our AI-guided predictive platform, we can ensure that every edit has the best possible chance of delivering real, commercial-scale impact. This is what the future of crop improvement looks like.”
Dr. Avjinder Kaler, CTO and Co-Founder, DNA Harvest Partners:
“With AI, we are changing the way breeding works — making it smarter, faster, and more precise. Instead of relying on trial and error across years of field cycles, we can now predict which combinations of genes and environments will produce superior varieties before a single seed is planted. When you integrate that intelligence into a gene editing pipeline, you compress timelines and dramatically improve the probability of success.”
Dr. Jongsang Ryu, CEO, ToolGen:
“ToolGen holds the earliest foundational patents for CRISPR technology in eukaryotes. It also has innovative gene editing technology and delivery methods for trait development including DNA-free RNP technology. By combining ToolGen’s CRISPR-Cas9 technology with DNAHP’s AI-guided breeding platform, we aim to develop better crop varieties faster, reduce development time and cost, improve the probability of field success, and deliver differentiated crop varieties that address the practical needs of farmers, seed partners, and the broader agricultural value chain.”
A Powerful Complement to CRISPR Technology
At the core of the partnership is DNAHP's GEO (Gene Editing Optimization) framework, which addresses one of the most persistent challenges in applied gene editing: the role of genetic background in determining whether an edited trait actually performs as intended.
Edited genes rarely act in isolation — they interact with networks of modifier genes whose presence or absence can profoundly affect trait expression. DNAHP's GEO framework uses AI-guided haplotype analysis to identify these modifier alleles across diverse germplasm, enabling breeders to build the ideal genetic context around an edited locus before expensive phenotypic testing begins. The result is higher trait penetrance, fewer false-negative outcomes, and better go/no-go decisions earlier in the pipeline.
Combined with DNAHP's SmartCross™ platform — which covers the full continuum from descriptive and discovery breeding through predictive and prescriptive workflows — the collaboration is designed to reduce ToolGen's variety development timelines and costs while increasing annual genetic gain across the targeted crop program.
About DNA Harvest Partners Pte. Ltd. (DNAHP)
DNA Harvest Partners Pte. Ltd., headquartered in Singapore, is a next-generation AI-guided predictive breeding company dedicated to accelerating crop improvement for seed companies around the world. Founded by Dr. Thomas Brutnell (CEO), Dr. Avjinder Kaler (CTO), and Dr. Paul Chomet (COO), DNAHP provides one of the industry's most advanced AI breeding platforms, integrating genomics, phenomics, and environmental data to guide every stage of the breeding pipeline — from germplasm understanding through variety placement. DNAHP's mission is to bring enterprise-grade predictive breeding to regional and emerging-market seed companies that have historically lacked access to these capabilities.
For more information, visit www.DNAHP.com
About ToolGen
ToolGen is a world-leading gene-editing company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea. As the world’s first company to file a patent covering CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in eukaryotic cells, ToolGen has remained at the forefront of gene-editing innovation. Its business spans intellectual property licensing, therapeutic development, and crop improvement. ToolGen holds 30 foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patents and 16 CRISPR ribonucleoprotein (RNP) patents registered in major markets, including the United States, Europe, and South Korea. ToolGen’s Crop Division applies advanced gene-editing technologies to enhance commercially important traits in major crops, contributing to global food security, climate-change mitigation, and more sustainable agriculture.
For more information, visit www.toolgen.com/eng