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If one were to embark on the quest for improved blackberries, one might consider developing a seedless variety that avoids the pesky remnants lodged between teeth. Alternatively, a thornless version could simplify the harvesting process. There is also the option to focus on environmentally efficient plants that yield more berries per acre while requiring less water and fewer chemicals. With decades of research and a measure of luck, these aspirations could become reality.
A North Carolina startup named Pairwise is harnessing the power of the genetic editing technology known as CRISPR to achieve all these goals simultaneously. The company has successfully created blackberry plants that are seedless, thornless, and boast higher yields—in a matter of years rather than decades.
The Promise of Modern Genomics
This reflects the promise of modern genomics: to provide speed, precision, and the ability to tackle multiple challenges simultaneously in the realm of plant breeding, a traditionally slow and random process that typically allows for only one adjustment at a time.
The trio of berry varieties from Pairwise is set to hit US supermarkets by 2030, as accelerated plant breeding does still require time. However, these innovations could usher in a new agricultural revolution—an era of high-tech, optimised crops designed to benefit consumers, farmers, and the planet alike. The company is also developing pitless peaches, row crops resistant to various diseases, and fruit and nut trees that can bear their first harvest within one or two years, as opposed to the usual three to eight. These initiatives often occur in collaboration with some of the largest agribusinesses in the world.
Thus far, the market for genetically modified foods remains largely theoretical. In 2023, Pairwise launched the first CRISPR product in the United States: less bitter mustard greens. However, the company announced it would cease marketing this product in early 2024 to focus on developing other crops. Currently, it has secured over 50 regulatory approvals for five edited crops across nine countries, but only one product is on sale: a high-yield blackberry variety available in limited quantities in Colombia.
Navigating Regulatory Waters
Unlike genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which involve DNA from other species, CRISPR seeds have not yet faced significant regulatory hurdles or public backlash. However, this does not preclude the possibility of negative reactions.
The CRISPR technique was invented in 2012, and there remains a risk that it could become embroiled in the political and cultural backlash against “Frankenfoods,” which has hindered the impact of GMOs. The rise of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement reflects a growing unease among consumers regarding edible technology.
The unpopularity of GMOs persists despite decades of scientific testing demonstrating that they are not harmful to human health or the environment. Even industry analysts who view CRISPR as safer and more beneficial are reluctant to predict the success of the next agricultural revolution. “Historically, there has been considerable opposition to genetic engineering in agriculture. I don’t know if we’ll see a similar reaction to gene editing, but if we do, it will be challenging to address the world’s food issues,” shares Julius Beau Lucks, co-director of the Centre for Synthetic Biology at Northwestern University. Nonetheless, the stakes are high.
Food Production Challenges Ahead
In the coming decades, farmers worldwide will need to produce significantly more food to sustain a growing population while using less land and minimising environmental damage to avoid cascading ecological crises. The world is on course for deforestation equivalent to twelve times the size of California by 2050. Technological solutions, such as vertical farms, AI-controlled tractors, and plant- or cell-based meat substitutes that require fewer resources, have struggled to gain market traction.
The founders of Pairwise believe their product has the potential to break through in the industry, as CRISPR technology can assist farmers in cultivating healthier and more abundant food in a warming world. This tool could significantly reduce deforestation, the use of agrochemicals, and greenhouse gas emissions.
A Wide Range of Innovations
The company is already developing a diverse portfolio of novel crops tailored for higher yields, longer shelf life, and increased resilience to heat, drought, storms, pests, and diseases. These crops are also designed to thrive in various regions, seasons, or soils, incorporating multiple combinations of desirable traits. Pairwise has raised over $160 million and has shifted its focus from producing its own brands to licensing its technology, maintaining active collaborations with agribusiness giants Bayer and Corteva, food companies Mars and Sun World, as well as a range of universities and research institutions.
Just as an electric vehicle need not resemble a conventional car due to its smaller engine, CRISPR holds the potential to transform food and agriculture in unexpected ways. During a visit to Pairwise’s headquarters in Durham in May, I witnessed one of the world’s first cherry bushes. Its appearance would have baffled George Washington, yet Pairwise envisions a future where it enables farmers to produce more fruit than conventional cherry trees on less land, while also facilitating the application of agricultural products and harvesting with machinery.
Transforming Agricultural Practices
Pairwise’s CEO, Tom Adams, explained to me how this unassuming shrub could represent the first step towards a more sustainable and economical orchard model for all types of fruit. This is possible because the trait that has been modified is not exclusive to cherries. “It’s exciting how a single change can fundamentally transform the way a food is grown. After that, we can introduce more changes to improve the food even further. Then we can apply similar modifications to other foods,” stated Adams, who oversaw biotechnology at Monsanto prior to its integration with Bayer.
Humans have been improving crops since the dawn of agriculture, initially selecting high-yield seeds and later crossbreeding varieties to combine traits. This process has transformed barely edible herbs into maize, a single species of wild mustard into broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, and tomatoes from the size of a berry to that of a baseball.
The Evolution of Plant Breeding
Yet, even after the introduction of transgenic crops in the late 20th century, plant breeding remains a painstakingly slow and frustratingly random process, relying on unpredictable mutations and inevitable trade-offs. Maize possesses 40,000 distinct genes, leading to almost infinite variables when mixing and matching plants. If a fruit is bred to spoil more slowly, it may lose flavour or yield; if rice is cultivated to require less water, it may need more fertiliser. Developing and testing a new variety can take a generation.
Once scientists at Pairwise identify a trait, they can use their editing platform to manipulate it, whether by activating, deactivating, or precisely adjusting its expression. For instance, after isolating the trait that controls the number of grain rows on a single ear of corn, they collaborated with Bayer to optimise that number to maximise production. They now plan to combine this modification with other “minor effect” trait alterations for maize (shorter stalks to prevent wind damage, tolerance to heat and drought to adapt to climate change, and more efficient fertiliser use) to create new varieties with significant advantages in yield and resilience.
Rapid Advancements in Plant Breeding
Experts note that CRISPR is already at least 95% faster than conventional plant breeding. Additionally, AI models that assist in identifying where and how to edit genes are further accelerating the process. However, the greatest advantage of genetic editing is the ability to accumulate multiple improvements in plants. Pairwise did not need to cross seedless blackberries with tastier varieties and hope the offspring inherited both traits; they simply edited the tastiest variety to eliminate seeds. I sampled a seedless blackberry in Durham; it tasted just like a regular blackberry but had a much smoother and more delicate mouthfeel.
In other words, there are benefits for consumers, particularly for those who prefer not to have blackberry seeds stuck between their teeth, a consideration that Adams had in mind when founding Pairwise. At Monsanto, he realised that the benefits of GMOs, such as “Roundup Ready” row crops designed to be sprayed with that ubiquitous herbicide, fell entirely on farmers growing food for animals and obscure ingredients. It certainly did not help that the company later paid substantial settlements to farmworkers and gardeners claiming that Roundup exposure had made them ill.
Addressing Consumer Concerns
“We were talking about how great the science was, not about what benefits it brought to you,” Adams recalls. Thus, he ensured that Pairwise’s initial focus was on fruits and vegetables that consumers purchase directly, with modifications that made them more enjoyable to eat, not just more profitable to cultivate.
The development of GMOs is extremely costly, resulting in large agribusiness firms focusing on staple crops dominating the market. This situation has led to widespread complaints from both farmers and food buyers, who argue that it reduces crop diversity and limits choices. However, genetic editing is much cheaper and less time-consuming, which Adams believes will make it a more accessible and democratic technology. Pairwise collaborates with non-profit organisations such as the Gates Foundation and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture to develop more resilient staple crops, such as cowpeas and cassava, better able to withstand pests, diseases, and drought.
Empowering Small-Scale Farmers
Leena Tripathi, a molecular biologist overseeing