Wageningen, The Netherlands
April 26, 2010

KeyGene and Biogemma announce that the companies will share bioinformatics expertise in a long term collaboration that focuses on data integration and mining of Genomics and Genetic information applied for Sequence Based plant Breeding.

The companies have clear complementary expertise, skills and infrastructures in the area of bioinformatics, data management tools and bioinformatics applications, genomics & functional genomics, high throughput sequencing and DNA microarray technologies. The collaboration combines the capabilities of KeyGene on molecular breeding, genomics and sequence based molecular analyses with the know-how of Biogemma on genomics, functional genomics and gene based approaches in field crops. The collaboration will also benefit from the increased critical mass that is required to execute projects on a high quality level in a competitive environment.

Direct access to the new generation sequence technologies of Roche and Illumina has allowed KeyGene to develop new technologies, such as CRoPS®, KeyPoint™, KeyBase™, gene  expression analysis and novel whole genome physical mapping (Whole Genome Profiling) and sequencing with a strong focus on KeyGene’s strategic vegetable partners. Biogemma together with its strategic partners has developed genetic databases, genomics technologies and proprietary molecular marker libraries especially for a number of field crops. In the joint effort of Biogemma and KeyGene methodologies and bioinformatics technologies will be developed and implemented for improved analysis of these databases and gene mining for the benefit of both Biogemma and KeyGene customers.

Prof. Dr. Arjen J. van Tunen, CEO of KeyGene states: “The collaboration with Biogemma is a logical next step towards our ambition to bring data analysis, the major challenge for the coming years, to the next professional level and this collaboration will allow us to create solutions for the field crop and vegetable breeding companies at the same time. Joining forces with Biogemma links two bioinformatics groups to become major European players with broad experience in bioinformatics applications for the plant breeding industry”.

Harold Verstegen, Head of the KeyGene Bioinformatics department adds, "Data resources in plant breeding are not the major bottleneck anymore. This also holds true for data integration capabilities. However, enabling efficient data analysis from a breeding perspective is still a major challenge and therefore new solutions are needed for decision support in breeding programs”.

Pascual Perez, CEO of Biogemma states that “with the impressive increase of genomics sequences, the organization of genomics structural data with their functional counterparts leads to more efficiency in the field of Comparative Genomics. All of this will help our scientists with our partners to speed up genetics discoveries necessary to the development of better yielding crops and safer feed and food productions. Biogemma is strongly convinced that this strategic partnership with KeyGene in the area of bioinformatics will reinforce and boost the gene discovery abilities of the two companies for the benefit of their shareholders and clients.”

Biogemma is a leading biotech company in Europe involved in Genomics applied to Field Crops. Result of the merger of the biotech activity of three major seed business companies, Vilmorin & Cie (Limagrain Group), Euralis and RAGT and with the help of two financial institutions Sofiproteol and Unigrains with the support of the technical agency Arvalis, the company is developing R&D programs with its partners, in field crops (Corn, Wheat, Sunflower and Rapeseed), focused on yield improvement, low input of fertilizers, biotic and abiotic stresses tolerances and specialty grain compounds.

KeyGene is a R&D company with the mission to be the leading company in developing and applying DNA expertise in the field of molecular genetics with a focus on crop plants. KeyGene’s up to date R&D facilities with next generation sequencing platforms, an extensive computational infrastructure and long experience in working with plant genomes form the firm basis of the Crop Genome Center, which focuses on the development of high quality genome assemblies of 6F (Food, Feed, Fuel, Fiber, Flower and Fun) crops. KeyGene exploits its proprietary technologies, databases and know-how through strategic alliances and contract research for applications in the plant breeding industry. KeyGene has its headquarters in Wageningen, The Netherlands, a subsidiary in Rockville Maryland, USA and a Joint Lab at the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences in Shanghai, China.

Website: http://www.keygene.com

Published: April 26, 2010