Cibus Inc.

Company Overview

Founded in 2001, Cibus Inc. is a genome-editing company in the process of developing and commercializing the Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS), a non-biotech breeding platform. RTDS is a system combining aspects of cell biology, precision gene editing, molecular screening, breeding and crop development. The central aspect of this technology is the gene repair oligonucleotide (GRON), which is designed to hybridize to a targeted gene region in the plant DNA. The GRON creates a mismatch with the plant DNA sequence, and the plant’s native repair enzymes recognize and fix the DNA using the GRON as a template. This GRON is removed after the repair is completed and then digested by the plant cell. The end result is that the targeted gene now has a change in its sequence, which can create a valuable plant characteristic, such as herbicide resistance.

SU Canola, Cibus’ first product, is a non-biotech canola tolerant to sulfonylurea herbicides. Launched in the U.S. in 2016, SU Canola has received regulatory approval for Canada.

Cibus is developing a range of non-biotech traits for many of the major crops, including potatoes resistant to Phytophthora, which reduces fungicide use; a weed control trait in flax, a valuable crop with little development work in the past; and a weed control trait in rice, which allows farmers to control difficult weeds.

In January 2019, Cibus launched Falco, a new seed brand that included four new canola varieties, to North American canola growers. The company plans to introduce multiple stacked traits under the Falco brand in 2020 and 2021, including pod-shatter tolerance, tolerance to multiple herbicides and resistance to disease.

In April 2019, Cibus formed a license partnership with Valley Oils Partners, giving Valley Oils the U.S. rights to cultivate canola with the Cibus ultra-high-oleic oil trait. Under the agreement, Cibus will earn royalties on sales of this trait. This partnership was the first one to bring non-GMO ultra-high-oleic oil to the U.S. market.

Financial Highlights (FY 2024)

Company's Business Segments

• Gene-editing Technologies : The company provides advanced gene editing technologies for crop improvement, focusing on productivity traits in major row crops.