TreeCo Inc. is a forestry research and development company founded in 2019 by principal investigators Rodolphe Barrangou and Jack Wang. The company aims to build an R&D engine for the forest industry by equipping tree breeders and forestry businesses with genome-editing technology. Its work uses CRISPR, a molecular tool for altering DNA, to target genetic traits that influence wood and tree characteristics.

TreeCo’s technology is intended to support improvements across several applications. In timber, tailored wood traits could benefit construction, furniture, musical instruments, sporting equipment, and other uses. For pulp and paper producers, the company focuses on traits such as lignin content and S/G ratios, with the goal of improving fiber-processing efficiency and reducing energy and chemical requirements. TreeCo also develops wood stocks with traits aimed at enabling more efficient biofuel production and supporting the use of biological alternatives to fossil-based materials.

The company connects tree trait development with sustainability, emphasizing the potential roles of trees in carbon sequestration, erosion control, and water filtration.