BASF Plant Science and Crop Functional Genomics Center sign R&D agreement in South Korea
- Major licensing agreement involving 40 South Korean institutes
- Focus on yield increase in rice, corn and other major crops
The deal focuses on plant traits, which can increase yield and improve stress tolerance in major crops such as rice and corn. CFGC will contribute discovery work with genes that have shown “proof of concept” (proven practical results), while BASF Plant Science will be responsible for the further analysis and development of the genes. CFGC will grant BASF Plant Science exclusive licensing rights in important staple crops like rice and corn outside of South Korea, while CFGC will maintain all licensing rights within the Republic of Korea. Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
“The agreement is a win-win situation,” said Dr. Martin Brudermüller, member of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors. “CFGC has found exciting genes in important crops and BASF Plant Science has the platform and network to analyze and commercialize final products.”
“Thanks to the support of the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology and its firm belief in plant biotechnology, our researchers have been able to identify highly interesting genes. Today’s announcement is evidence for the impressive achievements of Korean biotechnology research,” said Professor Yang Do Choi, Director of CFGC. “BASF has an unmatched discovery and development platform that enables us to acquire a deep insight into how our genes are linked to the entire metabolic profiles of a plant and, at a later stage, incorporate the genes in crops that will be brought to market.”
At BASF Plant Science’s technology platform, CFGC genes will be systematically validated in a unique high-throughput screening system that looks at different parameters for agricultural performance such as number and size of seeds, biomass and density of roots. The genes will also be analyzed for their metabolic profiling; i.e. the genes’ functions and interdependency will be identified.
Dr. Brudermüller added that South Korea is one of many Asian countries that acknowledge the importance of plant biotechnology in the 21st century and is committed to building world-class competencies in the field. “BASF Plant Science recognizes the high quality of work carried out by research institutes in Asia-Pacific and has entered into a number of cooperative ventures, including a high-yield wheat project with Australian Molecular Plant Breeding Cooperative Research Centre (MPBCRC).”
About CFGC
The Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea has developed in 2000 the 21st Century Frontier R & D Program to boost national competitiveness in science and technology, improve the quality of life, and benefit humanity. The Crop Functional Genomics Center (CFGC), which belongs to the program, focuses on the functional genomic study for crop improvement. Unraveling the complex relationship between genes and phenotypes and applying this information to the development of better crops are dependent on cooperative works in genomics, transformation, and molecular breeding, and should eventually make a significant contribution to global food security.
CFGC is a virtual institution supporting research projects that are carried out in universities, research institutes and industries throughout the nation and about 250 PhD scientists are working for the program. For 10 years of the program period, the CFGC will run target-oriented basic research and their application projects in the fields of plant functional genomics, crop transformation, and plant molecular breeding. Science and technology have made extraordinary progresses in the last century, contributing tremendously to the improvement of human life. We are among those responsible for leading 21st century science and technology, being convinced that all our goals can be achieved through establishing a new paradigm for global collaboration. To find more about CFGC, please visit our Internet website at: http://cfgc.snu.ac.kr
About BASF Plant Science
In order to take advantage of the possibilities of plant biotechnology, BASF, a leader in the areas of agricultural products and fine chemicals, founded BASF Plant Science in 1998 as its own biotechnology company. BASF Plant Science coordinates a research and development platform in Europe and North America with over 700 employees working to optimize crops for the following sectors: more efficient agriculture, renewable raw materials for specialty products and healthier nutrition for humans and animals. These include, for example, plants with improved agronomic characteristics, a higher content of vitamins or omega-3 fatty acids for preventing cardiovascular diseases as well as plants with a higher nutritional value for animals. To find out more about BASF Plant Science, please see our internet web site at: www.basf.com/biotechnology.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. BASF has approximately 95,000 employees and posted sales of €52.6 billion (approximately $66.1 billion) in 2006. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
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