- Business
- Evolutionary Genomics, Inc. (FNAM) is a genomics research and development company that utilizes its patented Adapted Traits Platform to perform molecular evolution analysis for identifying and validating positively selected genes enhancing commercially valuable traits in crops such as yield, sugar content, biomass, drought tolerance, salt tolerance, and pest/disease resistance. The company offers genes including FusR1 for Fusarium TR4 (Panama disease) resistance in bananas, patented in the United States under number 11913009 issued February 27, 2024 and in various other jurisdictions; EG261 and its orthologs/paralogs for pathogen resistance in soybeans, covered by U.S. patents 8710300, 9834783, 9605274, and 10577625; a gene increasing tomato sweetness by 25% alongside pest resistance genes; and candidate genes for cotton pest resistance and improved fiber length, with applications in rice, corn, wheat, cowpeas, beans, tomatoes, cassava, and other crops. It licenses these genes to seed companies for lump sum payments, milestones, and royalties, targeting the agricultural biotechnology sector serving farmers and agribusinesses globally, including regions threatened by crop diseases like South and Central America. Founded in 1990 by Walter Messier and Virginia Orndorff, Evolutionary Genomics, Inc. is headquartered in Castle Rock, Colorado. Recent developments include the 2024 U.S. patent issuance for the FusR1 banana resistance gene amid ongoing global patent applications in the European Union and elsewhere; prior equity funding of approximately $1 million in March 2022; and continued advancement of soybean, tomato, and cotton gene projects without reported acquisitions, partnerships, or reorganizations in the last two years.