KeyGene broadens the scope and portfolio of its Sequence Based Genotyping patents

KeyGene recently announced publication of United States patent 8,685,889 entitled "Strategies for High Throughput Identification and Detection of Polymorphism ", protecting large-scale discovery and genotyping of genetic markers.

The patented methods utilize complexity reduction techniques to create and sequence genome fractions, allowing discovery and scoring of vast amounts of genetic markers in a very cost-effective manner. This patent is significant for methods named Restriction-associated DNA (RAD), Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS), and its variants double digest RAD (ddRAD) and double digest GBS (ddGBS). The patent expands the proprietary technology base of KeyGene's Accelerated Molecular Breeding platform and strengthens its leading position as innovator in Sequence-Based Genotyping (SBG) methods. KeyGene is committed to offer its clients these proprietary methods via contract research, services and research kits and also provides licenses and accompanying training and expertise transfer for commercial or research purposes.

"We are very pleased by the grant of this patent in our portfolio of SBG methods", states Michiel van Eijk, CSO of KeyGene. "SBG methods are widely used to characterize germplasm diversity and are very powerful to improve crops and other organisms using molecular markers. This will result in the development of improved crops that are better adapted to climate change or have a higher yield or better yield stability. In this way, KeyGene and its partners from the seed industry develop new seeds that give rise to better crops for a better world.”