Indianapolis, Indiana
September 10, 2007
As part of the company’s ongoing
efforts to advance agricultural biotechnology,
Dow AgroSciences LLC
announced it has secured exclusive rights to Chloroplast
Transformation Technology (CTT™) from
Chlorogen, Inc. The
companies have collaborated on research agreements since 2005
and this license will allow further work to be done which will
enhance Dow AgroSciences’ animal health and agricultural
biotechnology businesses. Financial terms of the agreement were
not disclosed.
CTT™ is a unique method for expressing foreign genes in plant
cells. While current methods involve placing a foreign gene in
the cell nucleus, CTT transforms the genome of the approximately
100 chloroplasts within the cell. Each chloroplast contains
about 100 copies of the chloroplast’s genetic material, so the
amount of protein produced in a single cell is increased
exponentially. In addition, because chloroplasts are inherited
maternally, they are not found in pollen. This greatly
diminishes concerns about spreading recombinant genes through
pollen.
“This agreement is another illustration of Dow AgroSciences’
commitment to provide differentiated solutions to customers
globally through unique technology and capabilities,” said
Daniel R. Kittle, Ph.D., vice president of Research and
Development at Dow AgroSciences. “The potential of chloroplast
transformation is exciting and offers new solution space that
can address a number of our business interests. We are turning
science into solutions for our customers.”
"We are extremely pleased to be able to provide Dow AgroSciences
the rights to our proprietary licensed technology," said Dave
Duncan, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Chlorogen, Inc. “Dow
AgroSciences has demonstrated an enduring commitment to
developing plant-based technologies for greater productivity.
With access to our chloroplast technology, technology developed
by scientists at Auburn University, Rutgers University and the
University of Central Florida, this leading company now has
another new and more robust tool to help bring products to
market that are grower, customer and environment-friendly,” said
Duncan.
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is
a top-tier agricultural company providing innovative crop
protection, pest and vegetation management, seed, and
agricultural biotechnology solutions to serve the world's
growing population. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly
owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $3.4 billion.
Learn more at www.dowagro.com.
Chlorogen, with headquarters in St. Louis, MO, is a
biopharmaceutical company committed to using its patented
chloroplast transformation technology to become a world-class
provider of beneficial proteins for human therapy. In addition
to developing its own pharmaceutical pipeline, the company,
founded in 2001, is pursuing collaborative arrangements for
other applications of the technology, which was developed and
patented by the company’s technical founder, Dr. Henry Daniell
at the University of Central Florida.
™Trademark of Chlorogen
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