Table grape breeder International Fruit Genetics LLC (IFG) will open a new breeding and research laboratory this summer that will be a part of IFG’s $19 million campus, Fruitworks| IFG Discovery Center in McFarland, California. While the campus is set to open in the spring of 2024, the laboratory will be functional in the early summer of 2023, offering the breeder’s research & development team more than 10 times the size of its current lab. It will allow access to new, highly technical laboratory equipment to enhance the IFG R&D team’s work, from tissue and plant cultures to virus testing to molecular research.
IFG’s lead plant breeder, Dr. Chris Owens, says the new facility allows him and his team the ability to increase the scope of their research and bring in-house projects that were previously outsourced due to space restrictions. In addition, there are many molecular genetics projects that the team can now delve into such as determining relationships between individuals, tracking favorable genes in different populations and understanding the genetic control of economically important traits.
While the campus is set to open in the spring of 2024, the laboratory will be functional in the early summer of 2023.
Additionally, the team can now conduct in-house virus testing using molecular tools, helping to identify any virus-infected plants and eliminate the virus when necessary. Dr. Owens says his team is looking to add functions such as flavor chemistry, to more accurately pinpoint which growing conditions will lead to enhanced flavors as well as plant pathology and plant physiology.
“We are continuing the tradition that Dr. David Cain, co-founder of IFG, began over 20 years ago: to naturally breed fruit with unique and delicious flavors that both surprise and delight customers,” said Dr. Owens. “Before we bring anything into the field, we start all breeding programs in the laboratory and the new facilities allow us to continue to innovate.”
“This lab is part of IFG’s growth strategy,” said Andy Higgins, CEO. “Not only do we get to intensify the scope of our breeding and research, but this facility allows us the opportunity to increase our current R&D team. Soon we will be able to recruit from the finest universities as well as pull from some of the world’s top fruit breeding regions, such as Chile and our home base in Kern County. This includes hiring food chemists, post-harvest physiologists and other research team members.”
IFG also wants to expand its breeding personnel in the data science field. New genomic technologies mean fruit breeders can generate terabytes of genetic data (which equals 1,000,000 megabytes) at a low cost compared to historical standards, unveiling critical information such as the color or taste of a berry.
For more information:
Tamara Baker
IFG
Tel: +1 (661) 345-7580
tbaker@ifg.world
Michele Nachum
IFG
Tel: +1 (425) 698-7477
michelen@bastionagency.com
www.ifg.world