CropDesign N.V.
(CropDesign) and Stine Seed
Company (Stine) announced today that they have signed a corn
collaboration agreement. The collaboration provides for testing
certain enabling technologies from CropDesign’s TraitMill in
Stine’s elite corn lines. Under the terms of the agreement,
CropDesign will provide Stine with proprietary gene promoters
and other enabling technologies, and Stine will carry out corn
transformation, multiplication and greenhouse evaluation.
CropDesign will also conduct protein and molecular
characterization and will own the results of the collaboration.
Stine Biotechnology receives a non-exclusive license to use the
results in its own corn germplasm.
CropDesign’s TraitMill technology platform is a set of
high-throughput and high resolution technologies and processes
for identifying, cloning, and inserting genes into plants, as
well as for phenotypical analysis of those plants and the
grain/seed they produce. With the rice TraitMill, CropDesign has
rapidly characterized a portfolio of proprietary promoters.
These promoters have been used to express a number of traits,
including increased total biomass, early vigor, seed yield, seed
size and resistance to abiotic stress in rice.
According to Herman Van Mellaert, CEO CropDesign, "Developing
new corn lines with improved traits for the US market requires a
broad combination of skills in genomics, enabling technologies,
breeding and field evaluation. This development of corn enabling
technologies with Stine will strengthen both our abilities in
product development, and lays a foundation for further
collaboration".
Van Mellaert added, "By starting in rice we test more cereal
genes more quickly and at a lower cost than in any other crop.
Because of the high genetic homogeneity amongst the cereals, we
get more ‘bang for our buck’ with rice than if we would be
working directly in corn." Quick cycle times are important for
efficient protection of intellectual property leads. With Stine
we can move rice leads into corn to address the important US
market".
Stine is a leading breeder and supplier of hybrid corn and
soybean seed. The company was a pioneer in providing biotech
traits to US farmers, and today conducts proprietary
biotechnology research through its affiliate Stine
Biotechnology. According to Harry Stine, President of Stine Seed
Company, "Stine Seeds is excited about the potential of genomics
and is committed to being
at the forefront in biotechnology. This collaboration on corn
enabling technologies strengthens our ability to deliver
innovative products to our dealers and farmer customers".
CropDesign, based in Gent, Belgium is an agbiotech company
focused on the application of functional genomics for improved
crop performance, including higher yield, heightened tolerance
to stress and better quality. CropDesign applies its technology
in rice, wheat and other cereals. The company technology can
also be used in other business areas, including molecular
farming. Founded in 1998, CropDesign employs over 75 people at
its research facilities in Gent.
Stine Seed Company, located in Adel Iowa, is an
industry-leading seed company focused on developing and
marketing the world's best performing corn and soybean seed.
Stine is the largest domestic, privately owned seed company in
the U.S., Stine’s retail program is the 4th largest
marketer of soybeans in the U.S., and also markets corn and soft
red winter wheat. Stine Biotechnology specializes in
transformation technologies, working in collaboration with the
industry’s leading trait providers.
