GrassRoots Biotechnology, Monsanto Extend Research Agreement

Posted by |27 September 2011

GrassRoots Biotechnology and Monsanto Company have agreed to extend their existing three-year research collaboration for an additional two years through January 2014, according to a company statement.

The alliance will build upon the success of the current collaboration, focusing on the design and development of promoters that enable crops to express trait genes that enhance and protect yield.

Promoters are segments of DNA that determine when and where a trait gene is expressed. Monsanto is expected to use expression elements sourced from GrassRoots to optimize an array of biotechnology traits in a broad range of crops including corn, soy, cotton and canola, according to the companies.

GrassRoots’ alliance with Monsanto gives GrassRoots access to Monsanto’s product development and marketing expertise that will help GrassRoots speed the commercialization of its promoters.

“The goal of GrassRoots’ expression element research and development is to produce a tool kit of different genetic elements that can be combined to predictably and reliably control gene expression,” said Dr. Philip Benfey, GrassRoots’ CEO and co-founder in a statement. “Monsanto’s decision to extend the alliance underscores the importance of enhanced promoters for new biotechnology crops and also validates the research that GrassRoots is conducting in this area.”