Yield10 Bioscience Signs Research License Agreement Covering CRISPR-Cas9 Genome-Editing Technology with the Broad Institute a...
August 08 2018 - 8:30AM
Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN), a Company developing new
technologies to create step-change improvements in crop yield to
enhance global food security, today announced it has signed a
non-exclusive research license agreement jointly with the Broad
Institute of MIT and Harvard and Pioneer, part of Corteva
AgriscienceTM Agriculture Division of DowDuPont (NYSE:DWDP),
for the use of CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology for crops. The
joint license covers intellectual property consisting of
approximately 48 patents and patent applications on CRISPR-Cas9
technology controlled by the Broad Institute and Pioneer. Under the
agreement, Yield10 has the option to renew the license on an annual
basis and the right to convert the research license to a commercial
license in the future, subject to customary conditions as specified
in the agreement.
CRISPR technology is uniquely suited to
agricultural applications as it enables precise changes to plant
DNA without the use of foreign DNA to incorporate new traits.
Recent public comments by USDA-APHIS indicate that plants developed
using CRISPR genome-editing technology have the potential to be
designated “non-regulated” by the agency for development and
commercialization in the U.S., which could result in shorter
timelines and lower costs associated with commercialization of new
traits in the U.S. as compared to regulated crops.
“CRISPR-Cas9 can be a powerful scientific
advantage for companies of any size,” said Neal Gutterson, chief
technology officer at Corteva Agriscience™. “We are proud to
partner with the Broad Institute to enable Yield10 Bioscience with
technology they need to continue their pursuit of solutions to
tough challenges, such as increasing yields while reducing crop
inputs.”
“This technology represents a transformative
application of genome editing for agriculture to improve human
health,” said Issi Rozen, chief business officer of the Broad
Institute. “We are proud to partner with stakeholders throughout
the biomedical and agriculture communities to help deliver
responsible solutions for our planet.”
“CRISPR genome-editing technology in many ways
represents the final critical tool in the metabolic engineering
toolbox to develop traits that enable step-changes in plant yield
and other valuable performance traits,” said Oliver Peoples, Ph.D.,
president and chief executive officer of Yield10 Bioscience.
“Yield10 is well positioned to use genome-editing to modulate the
activity of specific target genes and gene combinations identified
through our discovery programs in commercially significant crops.
As our work progresses, we look forward to forming collaborations
to develop higher performing plants and to make them widely
available to growers.”
Yield10 is expanding its research and
development activities using genome-editing technology aimed at
evaluating seed yield, oil content yield, and drought tolerance
traits deployed in key agricultural crops. Yield10 is working to
deploy several novel yield, oil content and drought tolerance
traits using CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing in plants such as Camelina,
canola, soybean, rice and other agriculturally significant crops.
In its 2018 field test program, Yield10 is testing its C3008 trait,
which was granted “non-regulated” status from USDA-APHIS in 2017.
Yield10 also recently completed genome-editing of a Camelina line
with three oil content traits stacked, and plans to seek
“non-regulated” status from USDA-APHIS to test the combination
trait in the U.S. In addition, Yield10 is developing a pipeline of
traits involved in oil biosynthesis as well as novel transcription
factors that may increase seed and biomass yield.
For more information on the Broad Institute,
visit www.broadinstitute.org.
About Yield10
Bioscience
Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. is focused on
developing new technologies to achieve step-change improvements in
crop yield to enhance global food security. Yield10 has an
extensive track record of innovation based around optimizing the
flow of carbon in living systems. Yield10 is leveraging its
technology platforms and unique knowledge base to design precise
alterations to gene activity and the flow of carbon in plants to
produce higher yields with lower inputs of land, water or
fertilizer. Yield10 is advancing several yield traits it has
developed in crops such as Camelina, canola, soybean and rice.
Yield10 is headquartered in Woburn, MA and has an Oilseeds Center
of Excellence in Saskatoon, Canada.
For more information about the company, please
visit www.yield10bio.com.
(YTEN-G)
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release contains forward-looking
statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The
forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute
guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that
statements in this press release which are not strictly historical,
including, without limitation, statements regarding the potential
to use genome-editing technology to deploy yield, oil content and
drought tolerance traits to produce step-change improvements in
crop yield, the potential that plants developed using CRISPR
genome-editing technology could be non-regulated in the U.S. by
USDA-APHIS but could be subject to regulation by FDA and/or EPA,
and the prospect of forming collaborations to develop higher
performing plants and to make them widely available to growers,
constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated, including the risks and uncertainties detailed in
Yield10 Bioscience’s filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Yield10 assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking information contained in this press release or with
respect to the announcements described herein.
Corteva Agriscience
Contact:
Ashlee Stoddard, ashlee.stoddard@pioneer.com,
(515) 535-7842
Yield10
Contacts:
Lynne H. Brum, LBrum@yield10bio.com, (617)
682-4693
Investor Relations: Amato and Partners,
LLC, admin@amatoandpartners.com
Media Inquiries: Eric Fischgrund,
eric@fischtankpr.com
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