PoLoPo, a molecular farming pioneer, announced it has submitted its application for Regulatory Status Review to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the first step towards regulatory approval for its SuperAA platform, turning the potato plant into a micro-biofactory derived from proprietary metabolic engineering techniques. With this development, PoLoPo is the first Israeli molecular farming company to seek U.S. regulatory approval.
Once granted, USDA approval will establish that PoLoPo’s platform poses no agricultural or pest risk compared to traditional potato growing.
This approval, expected within six months, will enable PoLoPo to pursue its commercial plans to grow its transgenic potato plants in the U.S. through partners and local growers.
“This is an important milestone for molecular farming as well as for PoLoPo to establish safety and clearance to begin growing GMO plants,” said PoLoPo CEO, Maya Sapir-Mir, PhD. “The production of ovalbumin in plants, not animals, will transform food processing with a price- and supply chain-stable option and set off a domino effect on sustainability, a big first step toward changing our food industry.”
While derived from genetically engineered plants, the resulting protein powder contains no genetic material and is considered non-GMO. PoLoPo’s protein will soon be available to the food industry for testing.
PoLoPo is a molecular farming pioneer producing proteins directly in common crops, beginning with egg protein (ovalbumin) grown in potatoes. The biotechnology startup was founded in 2022.
PoLoPo press release
Comments