Novo owner donates half a billion to DNA project

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has donated up to 585 million DKK over seven years to a new research project aimed at creating more robust crops to address food production challenges caused by climate change. Under the guidance of Danish DNA researcher Eske Willerslev, the project named Aegis will investigate how nature has historically adapted to climate changes through soil samples containing DNA up to two million years old. The knowledge gained will help design crops that can withstand different climate conditions and improve their viability. Eske Willerslev, a professor at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Cambridge, hopes the project can tailor crops and ecosystems to various climates. The funding enables the project to proceed more quickly to address urgent food scarcity expected within the next 10-15 years.