ToolGen Establishes Osong Gene-Edited Crop Demonstration Field

Full-Scale Launch of Seed Business Commercialization

On June 11, ToolGen announced that it has established a Living Modified Organism (LMO) demonstration field at Osong Innovation Circle in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and will be fully launching the commercialization of its gene-edited (GE) seed business.

ToolGen company logo image. ToolGen

On June 2, ToolGen held an opening ceremony and a mini symposium for the Osong demonstration field. The newly established facility serves as infrastructure for validating gene-edited crops developed in the laboratory under actual open-field conditions, and will be used to secure data on cultivation stability and trait expression.

ToolGen explained that with the establishment of this demonstration field, it now has a full-cycle system that covers everything from the design and research and development of gene-edited seeds to open-field cultivation and large-scale demonstration.

The company plans to apply and verify major traits such as drought tolerance, herbicide resistance, and enhanced oil content in various crops at this facility. Through this, it aims to accumulate commercialization evidence necessary for entering the global market based on data secured from real cultivation environments.

ToolGen intends to prioritize the industrial bio market, such as raw materials for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), over food crops. To this end, it is focusing its gene-editing research and open-field trials mainly on oil crops such as pennycress and canola.

The company’s strategy is to expand its technology transfer-centered business structure by building a business model that encompasses research and development, seed production, and supply chain development based on its own demonstration data. It is considering Australia, Asia, and Europe as its key target markets.

Dongryul Sung, Executive Vice President of ToolGen’s Seed Business Division, stated, "The establishment of the demonstration field signifies that our gene-editing seed business has advanced beyond the research stage into commercialization. We plan to expand collaboration with global energy and agriculture companies based on data secured from open-field environments." ToolGen CEO Jong Sang Yoo added, "The Osong demonstration field will serve as a foundation for turning our technological capabilities into business achievements. We will accelerate our entry into the global bioenergy and agriculture markets."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.