BTG International Inc., a subsidiary of BTG plc, a leading global technology transfer company, announced today that it has added an exciting new plant biotechnology to its crop protection portfolio. The technology, reported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Beltsville, MD, may offer an environmentally friendly approach to insect control and management.

As demonstrated by the USDA, through the genetic engineering of plants, the internal production of a plant hormone cytokinin is increased and has been shown to enhance a plant's natural defense mechanisms to insect attack. Although the mechanism of cytokinin-mediated insect resistance is not clear, cytokinins are known to influence secondary metabolic pathways whose products can be insecticidal.

With demonstrated resistance existing in three of the most common orders of insect pests, this technology could be particularly important for use in agricultural crop plants because of their susceptibility to insect infestation and the need to reduce the use of chemical insecticides. Fruit trees, such as peach or plum, as well as ornamental plants may also benefit from the technology.

This new technology is an important new addition to BTG's crop protection portfolio. Building on the success of BTG's commercialization of the pyrethrin insecticides and the development of the resistance defeating insecticides, BTG is committed to the acquisition and development of novel
technologies which will offer unique alternatives to current methods used for crop protection. BTG intends to license this technology for broad use to leading crop protection companies worldwide.

Dr. Richard D. Gill, Senior Vice President and General Manager of BTG International Inc. remarked, "BTG has been at the forefront of crop protection for the past 40 years with successes ranging from traditional insecticides to the latest genetic engineering techniques. This technology from the USDA presents yet another opportunity for BTG to commercialize a complementary and
alternative method for crop protection."

BTG International Inc. (a subsidiary of BTG plc) is a global leader in patenting and marketing intellectual property rights (IPR) for technologies that shape the future. The company acquires, develops and licenses IPR in innovative products and processes in the fields of Biosciences, Electronics & Telecommunications, and Medical & Physical Sciences. With its headquarters in
London and offices in suburban Philadelphia and Tokyo, BTG capitalizes on a global network of contacts in companies, universities and research institutions to identify the most promising technologies and create the most advantageous licensing relationships. Since its founding in 1949, BTG has commercialized such major innovations as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
Interferon, and wide-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotics. BTG plc is a public company whose stock trades on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "BGC".

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