| Stauffer Biotech
announces production of genetically-enhanced corn to grow industrial and pharmaceutical
products |
Aurora, Nebraska
June 24, 1998
Stauffer Biotech, Inc. today announced the production of genetically-enhanced corn used to
grow industrial and pharmaceutical products. This comes as a surprise to many growers as
industry experts predicted this development would not take place until well after the year
2000.
Stauffer Biotech is currently producing several varieties of transgenic Identity Preserved
(IP) hybrid corn that contain high value industrial proteins. Industrial and
pharmaceutical proteins are a
multi-million dollar business in the U.S. and abroad. These proteins are used in a wide
variety of products, including industrial chemicals and enzymes as well as drugs and
vaccines for animals and humans.
Stauffer Biotech has an exclusive development agreement with ProdiGene, Inc., a biotechnology company based in
College Station, TX. ProdiGene was the first company to develop plants containing these
industrial and pharmaceutical proteins. Stauffer Biotech is now producing these high-value
grains.
"Today, Stauffer Biotech can produce industrial and pharmaceutical proteins in corn
at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods," says Anthony Laos, president of
Stauffer Biotech. Backing this claim, Stauffer Biotech's transgenic corn produced Avidin,
an industrial protein, at the equivalent of $50 per kilogram. "To produce the same
amount with traditional methods would cost the equivalent of $1,000 per kilogram,"
notes Laos.
Stauffer Biotech is a new company created by Stauffer
Seeds, Inc. The new organization will focus on developing Identity Preserved, or
"IP" products, that aid growers interested in boosting their bottom line.
Stauffer Biotech is leveraging the Stauffer Seeds line development, research and agronomy
programs to produce IP seed products that are enhanced through biotechnology.
"There is an important distinction between agricultural improvements and agricultural
innovations," remarked Laos. "This is a major innovation that has the potential
to change the purpose of a
significant portion of agricultural production for decades to come.
While other biotechnology products on the market today, such as RoundUp Ready and Bt corn,
serve to incrementally change how growers produce their crops, Stauffer Biotech is
creating IP products that allow growers to produce more value per acre than any other
product currently on the market.
"Due to the high value of the products produced in our biotech-enhanced IP
grain," says Jeff Dinslage, Director of Marketing for Stauffer, "growers could
realize as much as $1.00 per bushel
incremental income over No. 2 yellow dent corn without changing their time-tested
agricultural techniques. This is welcomed news to today's progressive growers."
Further distinguishing itself from other seed companies in the marketplace, Stauffer
Biotech's objective is to create long-term relationships with growers that produce the
highest yields possible. "Stauffer Biotech's agronomists will support our growers
throughout the production process because high yields are in the best interest of our
contract growers and our company alike," says Laos.
Stauffer Biotech estimates that as much as 10% of U.S. corn acreage will be producing
industrial and pharmaceutical products by the year 2010. Dinslage says, "Our biggest
challenge will be creating relationships with qualified growers who will participate in
producing this new generation of IP products."
According to Dinslage, Stauffer Biotech plans to make these products available to top
growers of Stauffer Seeds products some time in the near future.
Stauffer Biotech Inc. is headquartered in Aurora, NE, located in one of the nation's top
corn producing counties. N1660 |
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