Monsanto Acquires Plant Trait Developer Rosetta Green

Monsanto announced it has completed the purchase of substantially all of the assets, and assumption of certain liabilities, of Rosetta Green Ltd.

Rosetta Green develops improved plant traits for agriculture using RNA technology. Rosetta Green experts specialize in the identification and use of unique genes to guide key processes in major crops including corn, soybeans and cotton. The company was formed in 2010 and is based in Rehovot, Israel, at the heart of one of Israel's major science centers. The company's Israel operations will remain intact and all Rosetta Green employees have accepted roles with Monsanto.

"We're pleased to welcome the Rosetta Green team and look forward to working together on possible new applications of this exciting technology, which complements our existing research platforms," said Steve Padgette, Ph.D., Monsanto R&D investment lead.

"All of us at Rosetta Green are excited to begin our work with Monsanto," said Limor Zur-Stoller, Rosetta Green's Chief Financial Officer. "Israel continues to emerge as a leader in cutting-edge technologies, and this is a great vote of confidence in our research work and scientists."

Following the receipt of required approvals from Israel regulators and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, the transaction closed.