New Brunswick, New Jersey
August 9, 2007
Senesco Technologies, Inc. (AMEX:SNT) today announced that
it has signed a license agreement with
Monsanto Company, which
will enable the two companies to incorporate Senesco's
proprietary yield and stress technology into corn and soybeans.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Senesco has shown that its technology can yield a variety of
beneficial traits in agricultural products, including increased
yield, and resistance to environmental stresses. The company has
licensed its technology in a variety of agronomic and
horticultural fields.
"As we look over the past decade of biotechnology, our focus has
really been on herbicide tolerance and insect resistance," said
Steve Padgette, Monsanto's vice president of biotechnology.
"Looking to the future, we're already focusing more on
increasing yield and decreasing environmental stress, and we're
excited to work with Senesco as one way to accomplish that
goal."
"Senesco is pleased to work with Monsanto in developing superior
corn and soy," said Sascha Fedyszyn, Senesco's Vice President of
Corporate Development. "It has always been our goal to partner
with companies that have both a strong commercialization and
research and development presence. Monsanto certainly fits these
criteria and we look forward to a mutually beneficial
relationship with them."
Senesco Technologies, Inc. is a U.S. biotechnology company
headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Senesco takes its
name from the scientific term for the aging of plant cells,
known as "senescence', and its proprietary technology has
potential applications for both agriculture as well as human
health. For agriculture, the Company believes that its
technology can be used to develop superior strains of crops
without any modification other than delaying natural plant
senescence. Delaying cell breakdown in plants extends freshness
after harvesting, while increasing crop yields, plant size and
resistance to environmental stress for flowers, fruits and
vegetables. Senesco has partnered with leading-edge companies
engaged in agricultural biotechnology and earns research and
development fees for applying its gene-regulating platform
technology to enhance its partners' products. For human medicine
applications, the Company has developed technology that
regulates the onset of apoptosis (programmed cell death) and has
initiated preclinical research to trigger or delay apoptosis in
mammals. Accelerating apoptosis may have applications to
development of cancer treatments.
Delaying apoptosis may have applications to certain diseases
such as glaucoma, ischemia and arthritis, among others.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality.
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