Key Points
- Candy maker Mars has partnered with biotech company Pairwise. They will use CRISPR gene-editing technology on cacao plants.
- The goal is to make the plants more resistant to disease and climate change.
- This will help protect the global chocolate supply from future threats.
- Gene editing is much faster and more precise than traditional crop breeding.
Mars, the candy giant behind M&M’s, is teaming up with biotech company Pairwise to future-proof the world’s chocolate supply. The two companies will use CRISPR, a powerful gene-editing technology, to create more resilient cacao plants—the source of the cocoa beans used to make chocolate.
The partnership aims to tackle the growing threats to the global chocolate supply. Cacao plants are vulnerable to diseases and climate-related stresses like extreme heat. By using CRISPR, Mars and Pairwise hope to develop plants that can better withstand these challenges, ensuring a more stable and sustainable source for chocolate makers.
The key to the project is CRISPR technology. Think of it as a highly precise pair of scissors for DNA. It allows scientists to make small, targeted changes to a plant’s genetic code to give it desirable traits, like better resistance to disease or drought. Pairwise says this method is much faster and more precise than traditional crop breeding.
“At Mars, we believe CRISPR has the potential to improve crops in ways that support and strengthen global supply chains,” said Carl Jones, a director at the company.
The technology has already made headlines in health care, with the recent FDA approval of the first CRISPR-based treatment for sickle cell disease. Now, Mars is betting that same power can help secure the future of one of the world’s favorite treats.
