Watershed AC, Evogene and Ben-Gurion University will continue to collaborate on Improving Crustacean Traits Utilizing Gene Editing Technology

Watershed AC (formerly Colors Farm Ltd.) , which specializes in sustainable aquaculture and biotech and Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN, TASE: EVGN), a computational biology company aiming to revolutionize life-science-based product discovery and development, together with Ben-Gurion University (BGU), announced receiving an approval from Israel Innovation Authority for a second year grant to continue developing  CRISPR technology for crustaceans, following a successful first year.

The collaboration aims to provide a sustainable solution to existing limitations in gene editing for non-model organisms with sparse genomic data and protocols, focusing on improving key traits, such as growth rate, disease resistance, and environmental adaptation in crustaceans, targeting giant freshwater prawn, white leg shrimp and red swamp crayfish.

The global shrimp market size was USD 40.35 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD 42.90 billion in 2024 to USD 74.24 billion by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.09% during the 2024-2032 period1. The global crayfish market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 31.5% between 2024 and 2032, reaching a value of approximately USD 171.68 billion by 2032. These growing markets increasingly emphasize the need to expand sustainable aquaculture, making the technology developed in the frame of the collaboration exceptionally relevant.