Yield10 Bioscience Grants Research License to Forage Genetics to Evaluate Novel Yield Traits in Sorghum
September 21 2018 - 8:30AM
Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN), a Company developing new
technologies to create step-change improvements in crop yield that
enhance global food security, today announced that it has granted a
non-exclusive research license to Forage Genetics International,
LLC, a subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc., to evaluate five novel
yield traits in forage sorghum. Under the license, Forage Genetics
plans to conduct research with the novel traits within its sorghum
development program as a strategy to improve biomass yields.
The novel yield traits included in the research
license agreement include C3003, a trait derived from algae, as
well as four traits from Yield10's “GRAIN” platform, C4001, C4002,
C4003 and C4029. The C4000 series traits included in the research
license have been shown to significantly increase photosynthesis
and biomass in research conducted by Yield10. One of the traits,
C4029, may increase yield as well as confer drought tolerance to
crops. The key objective of the licensing agreement is to provide
Forage Genetics with novel traits to test alone and/or in any
combination in sorghum that may identify new yield traits for
potential future licensing from Yield10 for development and
commercial deployment.
“Yield10 has benefited from its novel transcriptome
network/metabolic engineering-based approach to gene discovery with
a focus on photosynthesis and has defined a set of transgenes that
have large potential for the enhancement of crop yield,” said Roger
Pennell, Ph.D., Director of Innovation for Forage Genetics. “We at
Forage Genetics believe these genes to be among the best in class
for this trait. We are very excited to evaluate them in our
state-of-the art field evaluation platform.”
“Research with our traits has suggested they may be
uniquely suited for deployment in forage crops,” said Oliver
Peoples, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Yield10.
“Forage Genetics is a leader in the development of forage crops,
and we are pleased that they have chosen Yield10 and our novel
traits for integration into their sorghum program. The Yield10 team
looks forward to supporting Forage Genetics with further insights
from our research to contribute to their R&D success with the
technology.”
Yield10 has established an open innovation model
for the evaluation of its novel yield traits by agricultural
companies. The intended benefit of the model is to allow
agricultural companies to deploy traits in their proprietary, elite
germplasm and test the performance of these traits in greenhouse
and field studies they design and control. The research licenses
granted under this model are non-exclusive but allow the licensees
to initiate negotiations for exclusive licenses for traits they may
seek to license from Yield10. Yield10’s innovation platform and
pipeline of yield traits are applicable to commercial row crops in
North America, and therefore may represent significant opportunity
for commercialization of Yield10 discovered traits through
licensing agreements.
According to the USDA, sorghum was grown on 5.6
million acres in the U.S. in 2018. Forage Genetics views forage
sorghum as a key crop to deliver sustainable and profitable options
to feed producers and consumers. Forage Genetics develops and
markets forage sorghum products throughout the United States.
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
of Yield10’s transgenes to enhance crop yield and confer drought
tolerance to crops; the potential for work conducted under the
research license to produce higher biomass yielding varieties of
sorghum and the potential to sign a commercial license in the
future, 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 matters described herein.
Contacts:Yield10
Bioscience:Lynne H. Brum, (617) 682-4693, LBrum@yield10bio.com
Investor Relations:Amato and Partners,
LLCadmin@amatoandpartners.com
Media Inquiries:Eric FischgrundFischtank Marketing
and PReric@fischtankpr.com
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