Durham, NC and Los Baños, Philippines — November 4, 2025 — Leads & Copy — Pairwise has licensed its Fulcrum® gene editing platform to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), enabling IRRI to develop rice varieties with higher yields and greater climate resilience.
The agreement will allow IRRI, a non-profit agricultural research organization, to apply CRISPR technology to develop rice varieties with enhanced nutritional value. These innovations will complement and strengthen IRRI’s ongoing breeding programs.
Dr. Inez Slamet-Loedin, Principal Scientist for Biotechnology at IRRI, said the partnership reinforces their commitment to using the latest breeding innovations to deliver results faster. Ian Miller, COO of Pairwise, stated this collaboration will accelerate rice innovation and create tangible benefits for farmers and consumers worldwide.
Under the agreement, IRRI will have nonexclusive rights to use the Fulcrum suite of CRISPR-based genome-editing technologies for research, development, dissemination, and commercial applications in rice. This agreement is backed by the CGIAR Gene Editing Initiative through support from the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and the Gates Foundation.
Contact:
Pairwise communications@pairwise.com
IRRI irri-mediarelations@cgiar.org
Source: Pairwise
