AgBiome, Genective team up to develop insect-resistant crops

AgBiome, a leading agricultural research firm, and Genective, a top developer of biotechnology crops, said on Wednesday that the two companies have established a strategic partnership that will speed their development of insect-resistant innovation crops.

The two companies believe genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are an important avenue to address future agricultural challenges.

AgBiome is an agriculture discovery and research company located in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park. The company’s researchers gather, isolate, evaluate and test various microbes within the company’s proprietary Genesis development and discovery platform. The company uses this information to make biological products and gene traits for agriculture.

Genective is the result of a joint venture between the German KWS Group and the French Groupe Limagrain. Its main offices are based in Paris, France.

"Growers need new traits for insect control to counter the realities of advancing insect resistance,” AgBiome Co-CEO Eric Ward said. “We are pleased to partner with Genective, aligning AgBiome's unique insect-control technology with Genective's capability in developing transgenic traits.”

"Our success in developing corn traits, combined with AgBiome's unique pipeline for identifying a vast number of new-candidate trait genes, will offer the seed industry a potential range of novel and critically needed products,” Bruce Lee, Genective's CEO, said.

Neither AgBiome nor Genective has released specific details on the collaboration's terms.