Phytoform dna-free genome editing services for vegetable crop improvement

Overview

Phytoform Labs is a gene-editing company specializing in DNA-free genome editing for vegetable crops. Founded in 2017, Phytoform partners with seed companies and germplasm developers to deliver improved crop varieties through CRISPR-based editing without the need for partners to build their own editing capabilities. The company's protoplast regeneration pipeline enables Ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based editing in tomato and potato, producing plants that are free from introduced DNA and can move directly toward deregulation.

The service is designed for partners seeking rapid, regulatory-friendly trait delivery. Phytoform holds a commercial CRISPR-Cas license, manages the intellectual property landscape, and supports partners through the full development cycle from target identification to delivery of edited varieties.

Technical specifications

Editing approach:

• DNA-free editing using CRISPR-Cas12a ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) delivered into protoplasts
• Eliminates T-DNA contamination risk associated with Agrobacterium-mediated delivery
• Editing efficiency up to 60% in protoplasts, validated by NGS (Illumina PE250 at 50,000x coverage)
• Applicable across multiple varieties, including clonally propagated crops
• T0 generation is already deregulated, accelerating timelines

Platform capabilities:

• Established pipelines for tomato and potato (Solenaceae), with additional species being onboarded
• Internal R&D team for tissue culture, genome editing tool development, and complex edits beyond simple knock-outs
• AI-driven platform for discovering CRISPR targets in regulatory regions to tune gene expression
• End-to-end project support including regulatory submissions and de-regulation guidance

Regulatory progress:

• UK DEFRA Qualifying Higher Plant Notifications (23/Q07, 23/Q08)
• US USDA SECURE Rule b(1) exemption (23-060-01cr)

Technology readiness level

Phytoform has demonstrated validated editing efficiency in protoplasts and has a track record of delivering edited tomato and potato varieties to commercial partners. The protoplast regeneration pipeline is operational and currently producing customer-ready plants. Regulatory notifications have been secured in both the UK and US for ongoing programs. The company is actively onboarding new species and scaling its pipeline, with project plans tailored to each partner's specific targets, scope, and timelines.