As the world’s population nearly reaches 10 billion in the year 2050, global crop production will need to double to meet the projected demands for food, feed, fiber, phytochemicals and phytomedicines. We at AFINGEN®  are aiming to enhance crop production to meet the natural resource demand in a new sustainable manner.

Plant science and technology-transfer teams at Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI, Emeryville, CA), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, CA) and University of California Davis (UCD, Davis, CA) launched the AFINGEN to apply plant synthetic biology approach in the development of low-cost biofuels and biochemicals. This spin-off was supported through Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (SBIR/STTR) programs at three U.S. federal agencies: the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Based on research outcomes from the programs, we have developed fast-growing high-yield rotation crops, cover crops, and dual-purpose forage energy crops. We are also prototyping a phytomedicine-delivery system that advance animal health and environmental resilience. To see our prototype progress, please visit our technology pages: APFL and Climate Bio®. To see our financial history, please visit our Crunchbase page.