Indianapolis, Indiana and Princeton, New
Jersey
June 8, 1999Dow AgroSciences LLC and InterLink Associates Inc. today
announced a 5 year exclusive research agreement that should lead to the discovery and
commercial development of novel insect-resistance and disease-resistance genes for crop
improvement.
Under the terms of the agreement, InterLink Associates will provide Dow AgroSciences each
year with a large number of microbial based samples from a customized microbial isolation
program. The microbial based samples will be tested for insecticidal and antimicrobial
activity at Dow AgroSciences, where gene cloning and crop transformation are also
performed.
"We believe that key, integrated collaborations with companies like InterLink will
greatly complement our internal discovery programs toward the identification of novel
genes for transgenic product development,'' said Jim Petell, Global Leader for Input
Agriculture Gene Discovery in Plant Genetics and Biotechnology R&D. "The key
elements for being successful in our Biotechnology discovery process has been the access
to rich supplies of diverse genes together with our unique, proprietary screening program.
In our past collaborations, InterLink has provided us with very high quality and diverse
populations of microbial samples for our discovery programs''
"We are pleased to expand and extend our previous interactions with Dow AgroSciences
and
assist them in their efforts to discover new genes to improve the insect resistance and
disease
resistance of crops,'' said Nicholas Everett, InterLink's Vice President. "Over the
last few years
InterLink has developed unique resources to access microbial diversity and provide novel
genes
and natural products for a variety of industries. We consider this agreement with Dow
AgroSciences, a leading agricultural products company, as further evidence of the
continued
importance of microbial genetic diversity in multi-faceted biotechnology research
programs.''
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a global leader in providing pest
management and biotechnology products that improve the quality and quantity of the earth's
food supply and contribute to the safety, health and quality of life of the world's
growing population. The company employs more than 3,000 people in over 50 countries and
has worldwide sales of more than $2 billion. Dow AgroSciences is a wholly-owned subsidiary
of
The Dow Chemical Company.
InterLink Associates Inc., based in Princeton, New Jersey and with research laboratories
in
Auburn, CA, is a unique biotechnology research and technology transfer company with a core
focus on the use of microbial diversity to provide leads for new drugs, antimicrobials,
enzymes,
and various genes for crop improvement. The company specializes in helping its clients to
identify new commercial opportunities for biotechnology and provides cost-effective
solutions to
applied problems.
Company news release
N1853 |