Monheim, Germany
January 30, 2014
Bayer CropScience has signed two new agreements with Cellectis plant sciences (New Brighton, MN, USA) on gene editing in plants. The agreements extend the companies’ existing partnership to introduce targeted modifications to selected plant genes and genomes. The financial terms of these agreements are not disclosed.
The first aim of this extended partnership is to collaboratively create commercial traits for the canola seed market using new technologies developed by Cellectis plant sciences. The second aim is to provide Bayer with access to technologies that enable the directed engineering of plant genomes, such as gene stacking and targeted mutagenesis, for the development of improved crops.
"These novel technologies work efficiently in plant cells and will be an important tool to improve crops," said Catherine Feuillet, Head of Trait Research at Bayer CropScience. "They facilitate the creation of specific modifications in the plant genome or genes and thus minimize the genetic footprint left behind."
"These new agreements position Cellectis plant sciences as a key partner for Bayer CropScience," commented Luc Mathis, CEO of Cellectis plant sciences. "Following the technical success we have achieved with all our programs in potatoes and oil crops, such as soybean and canola, the development of new commercial products relevant for the food industry has become the focus of our company."
About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, has annual sales of EUR 8,383 million (2012) and is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. The company offers an outstanding range of products including high value seeds, innovative crop protection solutions based on chemical and biological modes of action as well as an extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture. In the area of non-agricultural applications, Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 20,800 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: http://www.press.bayercropscience.com.
About Cellectis plant sciences
Established in March 2010, Cellectis plant sciences is a subsidiary of Cellectis (Alternext: ALCLS) dedicated to the applications of nucleases in plants. Its main mission is to increase and accelerate usage of Cellectis’s proprietary technology in agricultural biology, broaden the company’s platform to attract new and expanded licensing opportunities and explore the development of proprietary traits for selected applications. Cellectis plant sciences is located in New Brighton, Minnesota, USA. Professor Daniel Voytas, Chief Scientific Officer of Cellectis plant sciences, is also Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Genome Engineering. For further information please visit the website: http://www.cellectis.com.
Bayer CropScience und Cellectis Plant Sciences bauen Partnerschaft weiter aus
Bayer CropScience hat zwei neue Verträge mit dem US-amerikanischen Unternehmen Cellectis Plant Sciences aus New Brighton (Minnesota) unterzeichnet. Beide Unternehmen wollen ihre bisherige Partnerschaft zur gezielten Modifikation bestimmter Pflanzengene und -genome weiter ausbauen. Finanzielle Details wurden nicht bekannt gegeben.
Die erweiterte Partnerschaft dient einerseits dazu, mithilfe neuer Züchtungsverfahren Pflanzeneigenschaften (Traits) speziell für Raps-Saatgut zu entwickeln. Zudem erhält Bayer durch die Zusammenarbeit allgemein Zugang zu Technologien, die eine gezielte Modifikation von Pflanzengenomen und damit die Entwicklung verbesserter Sorten ermöglichen. Dazu zählen beispielsweise das so genannte Gene-Stacking und die gezielte Mutagenese.
"Diese neuartigen Technologien lassen sich effizient bei Pflanzenzellen anwenden und werden sich zu einem wichtigen Instrument der Züchtung entwickeln", sagte Catherine Feuillet, Leiterin Trait Research bei Bayer CropScience. "Sie ermöglichen so präzise Modifikationen des Genoms oder der Gene, dass Veränderungen des gesamten Pflanzengenoms minimiert werden."
"Diese neuen Verträge machen Cellectis Plant Sciences zu einem wichtigen Partner von Bayer CropScience", kommentierte Luc Mathis, CEO von Cellectis Plant Sciences. "Aufgrund der technischen Erfolge, die wir mit unseren Programmen für Kartoffeln und Ölsaaten, darunter Sojabohnen und Raps, realisiert haben, ist die Entwicklung neuer, marktfähiger Produkte für die Lebensmittelindustrie in den Mittelpunkt unserer Geschäftstätigkeit gerückt."
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