• Letter to Brazil’s National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio) is the world’s first regulatory submission for gene-edited eucalyptus, offering new opportunities for sustainable pulp production. • New variety of gene-edited eucalyptus produces wood that is easier to process industrially, reducing chemical and energy input requirements for pulp production. • Highly precise single-gene edit was made through a New Breeding Technique (NBT) mimicking changes that could occur in nature or be achieved through conventional breeding, without introducing any DNA from other species.

São Paulo - FuturaGene, the biotechnology subsidiary of the world's largest pulp supplier, Suzano, has formally submitted its first consultation letter to Brazil's National Biosafety Technical Commission (CTNBio) regarding gene-edited eucalyptus.

This marks the world's first regulatory submission for gene-edited eucalyptus, made in accordance with CTNBio's Normative Resolution No. 16 (RN 16), which contains provisions for regulatory exemption for certain types of gene editing. This includes circumstances where gene-edited crops do not contain foreign DNA, where they can be exempted from the regulatory process for genetically modified organisms (GMO) and treated in a similar way to conventional plants.

FuturaGene's innovation is designed to deliver wood that is easier to process industrially, supporting more efficient and sustainable pulp production by reducing chemical and energy input requirements. It was developed using CRISPR-Cas9, a New Breeding Technique (NBT), which enabled a highly precise single-gene edit in the eucalyptus, with no DNA introduced from other species, mimicking a change that could also occur in nature or be achieved through conventional breeding.

Dr. Stanley Hirsch, CEO of FuturaGene said:

"This is a milestone moment for tree farming and pulp production. At FuturaGene our mission is to harness cutting-edge science responsibly, to help to address climate change and its impacts, and meet the rising global demand for bio-based products while protecting nature. We want to ensure that each new generation of eucalyptus advances sustainability and efficiency in our use of land and resources. This world-first gene edited eucalyptus complements our existing knowledge base and technology portfolio. By embracing the full range of available biotechnology tools, including genetic modification and gene editing, we are creating better trees that will create a better industry."

FuturaGene is a pioneer in eucalyptus biotechnology, having already obtained 11 approvals for genetically modified (GM) eucalyptus from CTNBio, with traits including yield enhancement, herbicide tolerance, and insect resistance.

The submission will be now reviewed by CTNBio to determine whether this new eucalyptus variety can be classified as equivalent to conventional varieties, and if so, will remove any requirements for further biosafety evaluation in Brazil.

About FuturaGene

FuturaGene is a leader in plant genetic research and development for increasing productivity and resilience of eucalyptus. With facilities in Brazil and Israel, the company develops sustainable, ecologically sound technology to meet the ever-increasing demands for wood production in the face of declining land and water resources and climate change.

In April 2015, FuturaGene became the first company in the world to obtain regulatory approval to commercially deploy a yield-enhanced genetically modified eucalyptus variety.

For more information about the business, visit: www.futuragene.com.

More information about FuturaGene's use of New Breeding Techniques can be found in the position paper, Sustainable Tree Farming: The Role of New Breeding Techniques, available at: https://www.futuragene.com/downloads/position-papers/.