The program will make use of genome editing technology and domestic IT/AI progress for the production of independent industrial materials such as plastics. The consortium will be led by Prof. NAKAMURA of Kyushu University, a CRISPR/Cas specialist, and run from 2016 – 2020 at a budget of 8.6 billion Yen. Participants include Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Kobe University, AIST, Hiroshima University, RIKEN, University of Tokyo, Tokushima University, Tsukuba University, Meiji University, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kyoto University, Hokkaido University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Yokohama National University, Chiba University, Takenaka Corporation, Kirin Co., Kobe Natural Products Chemistry Co., Ltd., Ajinomoto Co.,Hokusan Co., Hokkaido Mitsui Chemicals, Amino Up Chemical and others.

NEDO news release, July 1, 2016