Dow licenses genome-editing method for use in Chinese rice research

Dow AgroSciences LLC said late last week that it has granted the Institute of Crop Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS) a research and commercialization license to use Dow's EXZACT genome-editing technology to produce genetically modified rice in China.

Under the terms of the agreement, Dow will give ICS-CAAS a royalty-free, non-transferable license to use Dow's EXZACT Precision Genome Editing Technology.

Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Michigan-based Dow Chemical Company, will be collaborating with ICS-CAAS scientists to develop a rice-genome-editing platform.

ICS-CAAS scientists will use Dow’s EXZACT technology to increase their expertise in rice genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and cell biology. That could accelerate the integration of scientific knowledge about rice to rapidly develop valuable rice products for the Chinese market.

Tim Hassinger, president and CEO of Dow AgroSciences, said the collaboration on genetically modified rice holds great promise.

“We have a long-term commitment in China as a strategic partner for agricultural sustainability and best practices,” Hassinger said. “The EXZACT Precision Technology collaboration with CAAS is a strong example of this commitment, which will significantly enable Chinese scientists to improve rice research and product development, thus benefiting China’s long-term food security.”