Samulski Supports ‘Next Wave’ Genome Editing Technology at NC State

Jude Samulski calls genome editing “the next wave of technology to feed the world.” 

Samulski contributed $3 million to create the Roberts and Mikhail Distinguished Chair in Plant Genome Editing, an endowed position that will serve as director of the Genome Editing Center for Sustainable Agriculture (GEC) at NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 

Endowing the distinguished chair is a first step in recruiting a team of genome-editing experts to conduct vital plant sciences research that will help future-proof our food supply.

“We are deeply grateful for Jude Samulski’s extraordinary generosity” says Garey Fox, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “This transformational gift underscores our continuing commitment to plant research that seeks to address the most pressing needs of our population’s health and food supply.”  

Samulski: A trailblazer in Gene Therapy

While some of his Hillsborough, North Carolina, neighbors know Samulski best as a berry farm owner, the international medical community knows him as a gene therapy pioneer who spent decades searching for — and finding — better ways to treat genetic diseases.

Samulski has pursued gene therapies for devastating diseases since the 1980s.

He is a professor of pharmacology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who previously served as inaugural director of the university’s Gene Therapy Center.

Although he once wanted to be a botanist, he ended up studying microbiology at Clemson University and then molecular biology at the University of Florida. 

As a Ph.D. student in 1982, he found ways to clone adeno-associated viruses, or AAVs. He also demonstrated that these viruses, harmless to humans, could be used as vectors to shuttle genes into the nucleus of target cells. 

“The possibilities are endless. If you can think about it or imagine it, you can probably make it happen.”
– Jude Samulski

His discoveries proved to be a pivotal milestone in the development of gene therapy.

Now, AAVs are being used to slow or halt the progress of a range of genetic diseases affecting around 300 million people worldwide. One of the most prevalent genetic diseases is Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which causes muscular weakness and can lead to early death. 

“I think there are now seven drugs approved for AAV gene delivery in patients with genetic diseases, with a tsunami coming in clinical trials behind that,” Samulski says.

Building Momentum for Gene Editing in Agriculture

As owner of Eno River Farm, Samulski sees a wave of innovation swelling through the use of CRISPR to transform agriculture. 

“It is the CRISPR technology that has gotten me excited about the ability to work with colleagues at NC State,” Samulski says. 

He points to genome editing trailblazer Rodolphe Barrangou, of NC State’s Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, and others who are using the CRISPR genome editing technology to create healthier dairy products and to improve trees so they produce more environmentally sustainable wood, paper and biofuels. 

Barrangou says we are at a critical time for CRISPR technologies: Much progress has been made in the clinic, but there remains unrealized potential in agriculture for breeding next-generation crops. 

“We are uniquely positioned to work at the intersection of plant genetics and genome editing, empowered by AI and synthetic biology technologies to rapidly develop more sustainable crops,” Barrangou says. “Importantly, a substantial portion of the global population stands to benefit from this work and we have a responsibility to address grand agricultural challenges with fitting grand technologies. 

“Jude’s vision and commitment to this aspiration are game changing for us and our agricultural stakeholders,” he continues.

As Samulski notes, CRISPR can be used to create plants and livestock that can withstand diseases, insects, drought, heat and other stressors. Such advancements could allow farmers to produce commodities used to make more food, fuel, fiber and forestry products on less land. 

“Importantly, a substantial portion of the global population stands to benefit from this work and we have a responsibility to address grand agricultural challenges with fitting grand technologies.”
– Rodolphe Barrangou 

That’s an important goal, Samulski says, in light of the world’s rapid population growth. He thinks that pairing gene-editing technologies like CRISPR and AAV-assisted gene editing could bring about faster, better solutions in agriculture. Already, clinical trials are using both CRISPR and AAV-based technologies.

“While we’re both driving down the highway in separate vehicles, we’re now looking at each other and saying, ‘This would be more efficient to get to the same place of success if we were in the same bus,’” Samulski explains. 

Join the Effort

Samulski’s initial funding to the Roberts and Mikhail Distinguished Chair in Plant Genome Editing is essential to secure the long-term financial stability and success of NC State’ gene-editing research initiatives. It builds on decades of plant improvements achieved through lifelong collaborations between NC State, growers, alumni and stakeholders.

“Genome editing will propel ongoing plant research forward by allowing plant breeders to make more precise improvements to plant genomes,” says Adrian Percy, executive director of the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative at NC State. “The results will benefit farmers through higher yielding and climate resilient crops, benefit consumers who will have access to more nutritious, affordable, available fruit and vegetables, and benefit the environment through more sustainable agricultural practices.”

Increasing the endowment to $4.5 million is essential to secure the long-term financial stability and success of NC State’s gene editing research initiatives. This funding will generate annual income to support the activities of the tenured professor and their plant genome editing lab focused on the development of scientific research.

“The possibilities are endless,” Samulski says. “If you can think about it or imagine it, you can probably make it happen.”