|
Hayward, California
June 8, 2007
Mendel Biotechnology, Inc.,
a privately held biotechnology company, announced today that it
was granted a Phase IIB Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation. The SBIR
phase IIB grant provides two years of supplemental funding for a
Phase II grant awarded to Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. for
development of crops with improved disease resistance, based on
matching funds from a third party investor. Protection of crops
against fungal pathogens is one of the most significant unmet
needs in agriculture. Over $600 million is spent each year in
the United States to protect plants against fungal pathogens.
Nonetheless, annual losses to fungal pathogens are approximately
$900 million in North America for soybean alone, with total crop
losses of approximately $5 billion. The grant will fund research
that aims to enhance a plant's natural ability to resist
pathogen infection, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for
fungicides, through enhancement of Mendel's transcription
factor-based TDR technology.
Karen Century, Ph.D., a Senior Scientist, will serve as the
Principal Investigator of the grant.
Founded in 1997, Mendel Biotechnology, Inc., a closely-held
private company, has been a pioneer in the application of
functional genomics to the study of plant genes. Mendel has
identified and patented the use of genes that control many
aspects of plant growth and development, and is using such
inventions to develop or co-develop new plant varieties with
improved productivity and quality. Mendel has relationships with
leading agricultural, forestry and horticulture companies for
the commercialization of improved seed and plant products,
including Monsanto. Mendel is developing new seed products for
the emerging bioenergy market, focused on seeds and feedstock
products for the cellulosic ethanol industry. |
|
