Increasing the Accessibility and Convenience of Healthier Food Options via Gene Editing—Ryan Rapp—Pairwise

The power of gene editing is putting nutritious, convenient produce in the hands of people who otherwise might not have access to it. Ryan Rapp is the head of product discovery at Pairwise, a company whose mission is to utilize gene editing technology to explore collaborations focused on gene editing in the production of real crops, such as cotton, corn, and soybeans, as well as the accessibility of healthy produce options for consumers. Still, in the exploratory phase, the team at Pairwise is looking into how to help plants make the transition to the lab, which tools in the gene editing process are most efficient and effective for their goals, and how to overcome the challenges presented.

Rather than trying to breed new crops, the team at Pairwise has been focused on improving those that already exist in order to bring spectacular options to consumers. There are many products out there that hold great potential but suffer from one or more hang-ups—perhaps it's the taste, the convenience, or the production system. Regardless of what it is, the team at Pairwise is dedicated to fixing it and maximizing consumer satisfaction.

Rapp provides a few examples of real-world results of the type of work they're aiming to accomplish, discusses how the production of 'baby' carrots has significantly increased the general consumption of carrots, explains what drives their work, and what makes a plant a good food source for human food production.

Interested in hearing more? Press play and check out their website at pairwise.com.