F1 Technologies is pleased to announce receipt of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant of $70,000 to initiate development of apomixis for crops. Apomixis is a natural "cloning'' technology that will substantially reduce costs, increase yields of food, feed, and fiber crops (10% to 35%), and greatly reduce the time required (50% to 80%) to bring new agbiotech advances to market. Apomixis is a platform and enabling technology -- a biological "operating system'' -- that when developed will have major agribusiness and humanitarian applications worldwide. 

F1's patent-pending A-Sync technology does not involve genetic engineering, but it will enable plant breeders to clone plants with valuable traits through the plant's own seed -- generation after generation -- perpetually. This genetic fixation is expected to increase the productivity of agribusiness by many billions of dollars annually. F1 Technologies -- the first and only company dedicated to the development of apomixis -- has exclusive rights to pending "pioneer'' patents, which are expected to control essentially all subsequent intellectual
property for apomixis.

John G. Carman, professor of plant genetics at Utah State University, is the founder of F1 Technologies and the inventor of F1's technology for apomixis. "I was pleased that numerous scientists from around the world unanimously and enthusiastically recommended SBIR funding for F1 Technologies' apomixis development project,'' acknowledged Dr. Carman. Phase I involves the development of apomixis in sorghum -- a model plant for commercial applications. Phase II of the SBIR grant, if awarded, could provide the Company with several hundred thousand dollars. Senator Orin Hatch's office phoned the company, relayed Senator Hatch's congratulations, and wished the company success in developing its technology.

F1 Technologies -- a development-stage spin-off from Utah State University and its office of Research Technology Commercialization -- is developing its A-Sync Technology to create apomixis in several commercially important crops. The invention of apomictic crops is expected to help feed an ever-growing world population and reduce environmental damage. Apomixis may become the single most cost-effective plant mechanism for transferring biotech and productivity innovations to the developing world. 

Company news release
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