Hudson River and Plantik Will Trial Heat-Tolerant Berries
The companies plan to begin commercial field trials in 2028 using gene-editing technology to mitigate climate-induced heat stress.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Biotech
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Hudson River and Plantik have announced a partnership to develop heat-tolerant strawberries using the DNA-free BioMaas gene-editing system. The research project, which will culminate in commercial field trials in the spring and summer of 2028, addresses yield risks caused by rising heat stress.
Why it matters
Abnormal weather patterns threaten commercial strawberry fruit set, sugar content, and berry size, necessitating new breeding approaches. This partnership attempts to accelerate crop resilience by applying gene-editing techniques previously validated in tomato research.
Hudson River employs its DNA-free BioMaas editing platform and proprietary hydrogel technology to support protoplast regeneration. The research achieves a 2-3 times faster development cycle for tomato traits compared to conventional breeding.
The players
Hudson River
A Netherlands-based biotechnology firm specializing in DNA-free plant genome-editing systems.
Plantik
A French biotechnology startup focused on cloud-based infrastructure and machine learning for plant breeding.
The details
Researchers use the ATLANTIS cloud platform to integrate machine learning with BioMaas to identify genetic regions that confer heat tolerance. By directly editing elite germplasm—the living genetic resources used in plant breeding—the system avoids the repeated backcrossing required in conventional agriculture to stabilize desirable traits. Protoplast regeneration, the process of regrowing a whole plant from a single cell stripped of its cell wall, is supported by Hudson River’s proprietary hydrogel technology.
Timeline
Spring 2028 marks the anticipated start of commercial field trials.
Summer 2028 serves as the conclusion window for the initial field trials.
The Tech Race
The partnership positions these firms to compete within the shifting European NGT-1 regulatory landscape. Future applications of the BioMaas platform may extend to soybeans, potatoes, and other major crops.
Consumers may eventually see heat-resilient strawberries that maintain consistent size and sugar content despite adverse weather conditions. The technology is currently in research-stage, with potential applications expanding to other staples like potatoes and lettuce.
The takeaway
This effort represents a significant attempt to modernize crop genetics through cloud-integrated editing tools. Watch for the 2028 field trial results to determine if these lab-scale efficiency gains translate to commercial yields in open-field environments.
What happens next
Commercial field trials are scheduled to occur in the spring and summer of 2028.
Further reading
For broader context on how gene-editing is transforming plant biology, visit our Biotech section.
Live Poll
Do you support the use of gene-edited crops to help ensure food stability during climate change?
