Pairwise Achieves Groundbreaking Milestone with Seedless Blackberry Development

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• Pairwise has successfully developed the first-ever seedless blackberry, a breakthrough in berry production.
• This achievement was made possible by Pairwise’s proprietary CRISPR technology, which enables precise and efficient editing of plant genes.
• The seedless blackberry has the potential to transform the blackberry market, offering consumers a new and improved product with enhanced flavor, consistency, and convenience.
• The innovative trait also contributes to a more sustainable food system, reducing food waste and improving growers’ economics, aligning with Pairwise’s mission to increase access to healthy food.

Durham, North Carolina (4 June 2024) – Pairwise, a pioneering company in genetics-based innovation in food and agriculture, announces the successful development of the world’s first seedless blackberry. Utilising the company’s proprietary Fulcrum™ Platform, a comprehensive suite of novel tools for CRISPR application in plants, this achievement marks a significant milestone in caneberry cultivation.

“We are delighted to share this groundbreaking achievement from our talented R&D team,” said Ryan Bartlett, Pairwise Chief Technology Officer. “By leveraging their in-depth knowledge of plant genetics, extensive suite of CRISPR tools, and multiplex editing techniques, our scientists have successfully eliminated the hard pits in berry fruit, creating a seedless blackberry that boasts soft, small seeds akin to those found in grapes and watermelon.”

This innovative trait is expected to revolutionise the blackberry market and pave the way for accelerated progress in removing seeds and pits in various other fruits, such as cherries. Recent advancements in produce have been rapidly adopted due to the significant benefits they offer consumers, including enhanced flavour, consistency, and convenience.

“The edited berry variety consistently exhibits sweetness year-round and demonstrates excellent shelf life during transportation,” said Haven Baker, Pairwise Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer. “Consumers will now have the option to choose a nutritious, seedless blackberry that reliably delivers exceptional flavour and quality.”

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In addition to creating the world’s first seedless caneberry, Pairwise has successfully edited the same variety to eliminate thorns and develop a more compact plant, yielding benefits for harvesters, growers, and the environment. The thornless and compact traits enable more efficient fruit harvesting, improved productivity, and enhanced profitability for growers.

Early data from Pairwise-led trials indicate a potential significant increase in yield per acre, necessitating only a minimal increase in inputs, resulting in a more sustainable food system. “Our high-density compact and thornless traits contribute to a more sustainable food system, reducing food waste and further improving growers’ economics,” said Baker.

Pairwise is committed to addressing the challenge of encouraging people to consume more high-quality, healthy foods. By providing consumers with innovative, highly nutritious food options that offer improved flavour and convenience, the company aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. “With our proprietary CRISPR technology, we are creating a new era of innovation in agriculture,” said Tom Adams, Pairwise Co-Founder and CEO.