Living Carbon

Living Carbon is a climate biotech startup that develops genetically modified (GM) trees designed to capture more CO2 from the atmosphere than standard trees. The company uses tissue culture, omics technologies, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) technology, enzymology, and protein engineering. Living Carbon’s technology involves inserting three genes, including one from squash and one from green algae, to reduce photorespiration in the trees and increase energy into growth. 

The company's primary focus is on creating a hybrid poplar tree, a cross between the common aspen and white poplar, with enhanced photosynthetic performance. Living Carbon claims that its GM trees can accumulate up to 53% more biomass and absorb 27% more CO2 compared with conventional trees. In addition to carbon capture, Living Carbon was working on enhancing trees' ability to accumulate metals like nickel or copper from toxic soils to better resist fungal decay.

As of 2023, Living Carbon aimed to supply more than 4 million seedlings to companies in the US by 2024. To fund its GM trees, the company sells carbon credits to entities looking to offset their emissions.