AgGene
Science Meets the Field: How a Calgary Agricultural Biotechnology Company is Driving Crop Innovation at UIQ
Inside Calgary’s Life Sciences Innovation Hub (LSIH) at University Innovation Quarter (UIQ), a local company is rethinking how crops are grown, improved, and brought to market. AgGene, a plant biotechnology company founded in Calgary, is working at the intersection of science and agriculture to help farmers navigate an increasingly unpredictable climate.
AgGene focuses on developing crop traits that deliver both resilience to changing climate conditions and high-quality value. Improving tolerance to heat and drought, alongside enhancing qualities like protein content and taste, are key solutions their team is advancing to create direct, real-world impact for farmers and growers.
AgGene team pictured left to right: Logan Skori, CEO, Mendel Perkins, Lead Scientist, Ethan Coates, research scientist.
Lab to Land is Integral to Our Farming Future
While the science behind AgGene’s work is highly complex, its purpose is grounded in something very simple: supporting Canadian farmers. By using advanced tools like gene editing, the AgGene scientists are developing traits in crops that are essential to Canada’s agricultural economy.
“We’re working in crops that are very economically important to Canada”, explains Lead Scientist, Mendel Perkins. “Both Logan (Skori) and I grew up on farms, so the idea of working on something in the lab and then seeing it out on the family farm one day is really meaningful.”
This connection between innovation and lived experience allows AgGene to approach biotechnology with a practical lens, ensuring that what they create in the lab translates directly to the field.
AgGene’s Lead Scientist, Mendel Perkins, speaks to the Innovate Calgary membership equipment, including ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers.
Accessing a World-Class Facility at UIQ
Innovate Calgary is a UIQ tenant located in LSIH, offering researchers and innovators access to unique and high-investment equipment, shared lab spaces, and mentorship from advisors, experts and startup CEOs through their tiered membership programs. As the University of Calgary’s business incubator, Innovate Calgary has played a pivotal role in AgGene’s success with everything they need in one place.
“Everybody’s shocked by the quality of the facility, but even more so by how cost-effective it is. For a startup, that kind of access is a huge advantage,” says Logan Skori, CEO and Co-Founder of AgGene.
As a member of Innovate Calgary, AgGene’s membership has enabled them to scale alongside Calgary’s growing innovation ecosystem with access to specialized equipment including PCR machines that amplify small segments of DNA into millions or billions of copies through rapid, automated temperature cycling, as well as cryogenic and ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers used for the long-term storage of enzymes and DNA. The AgGene team also has access to flexible lab space and a network of like-minded academics.
“It’s a world-class facility. Having access to equipment and infrastructure at this level makes a huge difference”, says Skori.
Now a UIQ tenant for three years, AgGene started in a small, shared lab space and has since expanded to two larger private labs that support its continued growth. They now operate with one lab dedicated to molecular biology and tissue culture, and a second lab dedicated to plant growth.
AgGene has two labs located at the Life Sciences Innovation Hub (LSIH) in UIQ.
Born in Calgary, Growing Through Research
AgGene is deeply ingrained in the University of Calgary, with its foundational technology originating in a research lab led by Dr. Marcus Samuel, Professor and Director of Greenhouse Operations.
“Our connection to the University of Calgary goes back quite a few years. The foundational technology behind AgGene came out of that environment, and we continue to collaborate through research and talent”, says Logan Skori, CEO and Co-Founder of AgGene.
The relationship continues to grow through ongoing partnerships, hiring from University of Calgary’s talent pool, and collaborative research projects that push their biotechnology forward.
Planting the First Investment Seeds
UCeed, the UCalgary investment fund operating under Innovate Calgary, is part of AgGene’s innovation journey. UCeed invests in three main areas, including health and life sciences, and participated in AgGene’s first fundraising round.
Jennifer Erickson, Associate of UCeed Health & Life Science Funds shares, “AgGene is a really interesting company tackling a huge global problem by pairing biotechnology with agriculture. The team brings a rare combination of gene editing and scientific expertise, and deep knowledge of the agricultural industry and how it operates. They fit right within the stage that UCeed was established to support: early-stage companies moving from innovation to commercialization.”
Charting the Future of Crop Development
As climate conditions continue to evolve, the need for resilient, high-performing crops has never been greater. AgGene is focused on becoming a leader in crop trait development, with a long-term vision of supporting farmers through the challenges of the next decade.
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