Imagine if plants could breathe in more carbon dioxide and hold onto water better, even during a heatwave. This project rewires the internal plumbing of rapeseed to stop it from wasting carbon and instead use it to grow bigger and stronger. It's like upgrading a car's engine to get more miles out of every drop of fuel while running in a hotter desert.
Global warming and droughts are reducing crop yields and increasing water costs. Current commercial crops lack the efficiency to sequester enough carbon and survive extreme arid conditions without losing oil quality.
A calibrated genetic transgenic protocol and the first generation of rapeseed plants expressing the TaCo metabolic pathway.
If you are a seed producer dealing with falling crop yields due to heat waves — this project developed TaCo-expressing rapeseed that absorbs 60% more CO2 and uses 20% less water. This allows for the sale of high-value, drought-resistant seeds to farmers.
If you are an irrigation provider dealing with water scarcity in farming regions — this project developed engineered crops that require 20% less water. This enables the development of low-impact farming packages that reduce resource dependency.
If you are an oil processor dealing with volatile raw material prices due to climate instability — this project developed rapeseed that maintains high oil content while increasing biomass per hectare. This ensures a more stable and sustainable supply of canola-derived products.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or cost structures are not provided; however, the project aims to reduce irrigation and fertilization costs for farmers.
Yes, the technology has commercial prospects for other C3 crops including soybean, cotton, potato, wheat, rice, and barley due to photosynthetic and genomic similarity.
Based on available project data, the coordinator intends to establish a start-up seed company to produce and sell these high-oil seeds.
The project runs until December 31, 2025, with plans to sign precommercial agreements to develop crops up to TRL9.
The technology is integrated into the seed itself, allowing farmers to grow crops on marginal land without sacrificing productivity or quality.
The consortium is lean and industry-heavy, consisting of 4 partners across 4 countries (BG, DE, IL, IT). With a 50% industry ratio (2 SMEs and 2 research entities), the project is structured for commercial transition rather than pure academic research, led by an Israeli SME (EVOGENE LTD).
Contact EVOGENE LTD regarding the TaCo pathway licensing
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for C3 crop metabolic engineering.
