Syngenta and Evogene to Collaborate on Soybean Nematode Resistance
Evogene Ltd. announced a collaboration with Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. focusing on identifying plant genes related to soybean nematode resistance. Under the agreement, Syngenta will receive exclusive licensing rights to candidate genes discovered by Evogene for use in soybean. Soybean nematode is a soil parasite which attacks the roots of developing plants, and is one of the most devastating and yield limiting pests of soybean. Soybean growers may lose more than 20 percent of their yield to this pest, while defenses against it are limited. It is estimated that soybean nematode causes losses in the United States alone exceeding one billion dollars annually.
Under this collaboration agreement, Evogene will provide Syngenta with candidate genes discovered by Evogene’s computational gene discovery technology, that are predicted to improve nematode resistance. Syngenta will evaluate candidate genes in its soybean research and development program. Syngenta may commercialize improved soybean seeds developed through this collaboration. Specific details of the agreement were not disclosed.
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