Bayer, NSG Expands Research and Development Cooperation

Bayer CropScience and the research company Nature Source Genetics, based in Ithaca, New York, USA, have signed an agreement to expand their already fruitful cooperation. They have entered into a five-year collaboration involving the pre-breeding and enhancement of soybean germplasm. The goal is to create improved seed by making use of innovative technologies to identify and incorporate previously non detectable, naturally occurring genes. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

The partnership will combine the expertise of Bayer CropScience's soybean breeders and geneticists with Nature Source Genetics' technical know-how and the company's bioanalytical platform to identify and utilize the full range of promising germplasm. The partnership also builds on a successful cotton partnership, which began in 2008.

"The collaboration between Bayer CropScience and Nature Source Genetics marks a significant expansion in the strategic scope of our soybean breeding program", said Mike Gilbert, Head of Global Breeding and Trait Development at Bayer CropScience. "With this partnership, we now have access to new and valuable sources of genetic diversity in soybeans, which we can incorporate into our already robust breeding program to further expand and improve the products we offer growers worldwide."

This agreement will provide Bayer CropScience researchers with the opportunity to identify high value genes in previously unused genetic material and incorporate these new genes into commercial germplasm.

"We are very pleased to be entering into this joint venture with Bayer CropScience for the genetic improvement of soy. Nature Source Genetics brings to this partnership unique expertise and proprietary algorithms developed within its bioanalytical platform encompassing diverse competencies from life and computational sciences," said Professor Steven D. Tanksley, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Nature Source Genetics. "These competencies will significantly expedite the identification and incorporation of new and useful genetic variation into Bayer CropScience's breeding material for the development of improved commercial varieties."