CenGen

Industry

Diagnostics, Digital & robotics, Seeds & genetics

Topics

Hybrid seeds & crop breeding, Livestock & poultry production/genetics

Role

Research / RTO — “…e (SABBI), Provar, and international research institutions [1][5][4]. Following the retirement of founder René…”

Why it is bioeconomy

CenGen is a South African company providing specialized genomics, molecular diagnostics, and R&D services to the agricultural and horticultural industries.

Found via

[Peer] INDEAR by Agrality; [Peer] Huazhi Rice Gene Technology

Applications

Cultivar Identity Verification and Purity Testing · Agricultural Pathogen Detection · Whole Genome Sequencing of Important Plants · Marker-Assisted Selection · Species Identity Confirmation

Customers & partners

120+ Clients · 460+ Projects · 35+ Organisms · King Abdullah University of Science and Technology · University of Stellenbosch

Production sites

38 Russell Street, Worcester 6850, RSA · 38 Russell St, Worcester, 6850, South Africa

Read from the company's own website: about · production · rnd · leadership · contact · topic · topic · topic

• 2026-07 Latest status: Founding director Renée Prins retired on 31 July 2026 and Elsabet Wessels was appointed as Acting Chief Scientist. ↗ ↗ ↗
• 2026-08-03 A Familiar Face, A New Role: Elsabet Wessels Appointed Acting Chief Scientist - CenGen (Pty) Ltd
  CenGen announces Elsabet Wessels as Acting Chief Scientist, highlighting her 15-year track record in molecular breeding and genomics, leadership, and commitment to excellence. The move signals strengthened scientific leadership and continued focus on …
• 2026-02-17 Celebrating the CenGen-CAF collaboration - CenGen (Pty) Ltd
  CenGen highlights a long-standing collaboration with the Central Analytical Facility’s DNA Sequencing Unit, celebrating 23 years of joint fragment analysis work that has advanced the agricultural industry, with a recent in-person exchange in Worcester.
• 2026-03-05 Whole genome sequences promise new insight for barley industry - SA Grain
  CenGen is sequencing whole genomes of South African barley varieties in-house (with ONT tech and DIPLOMICS support) to compare them with international barley genomes, identify key genes/alleles, and help local breeders develop and pre-emptively address …
• 2026-02-05 Developing genetic tests for pome fruit - SA Fruit Journal
  CenGen is a specialist agricultural genetics company that collaborates with Provar on pome-fruit projects, developing DNA-based tools (like SNP panels and S-allele genotyping) to aid rootstock identification, cultivar compatibility, and cross-pollination …
• 2026-05-04 Two days of SACTA-sponsored laboratory experience for agricultural sciences learners - CenGen (Pty) Ltd
  CenGen hosted a SACTA-funded gene workshop for 44 Grade 12 Agricultural Sciences learners from Sinenjongo Secondary School, featuring theory and practical sessions (DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, microscopy, bioinformatics) plus an insect agriculture …
• 2025-03-07 Multi-disciplinary team takes first look at Fusarium Crown Rot resistance in South Africa - CenGen (Pty) Ltd
  CenGen reports that its multi-disciplinary team’s long-term Fusarium Crown Rot research, conducted in South Africa and abroad, has been published in Crop Science, highlighting their collaborative achievement and ongoing agriscience contributions.

Ownership & investors 1

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