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PBL, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UH, UKTel: +44(0)1603 456500 Fax: +44(0)1603 456552 www.pbltechnology.com
Innovation in life sciences
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IP protection
Funds and manages
patent filing and
Builds complementary
technology packages
Markets technology to commercial
users
Concludes and monitors
technology licences
Manages and mentors the formation of
new technology-
based businesses
PBL Licenses Crop Enhancement Technology toDow AgroSciences
Beneforté™: Broccoli from JIC and IFR Research is presented toUS Fresh Produce Market
PBL is pleased to announce it has entered into an exclusive commercial licence agreement with Dow AgroSciences for a technology from the John Innes Centre that enhances the root systems of plants.
The technology was developed by Dr Liam Dolan and his colleagues at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, and could bring improved crop varieties to the agricultural market and help open new markets. The team cloned and characterised genes which may play vital roles in anchorage, water use and nutrient uptake in plants. The genes are highly conserved among and plants and the technology has already been shown to be effective in enhancing root systems in transgenic plants of major crops around the world.
“Dow AgroSciences is excited to be collaborating with one of the most respected organizations in the biotechnology industry,” said Dan Kittle, PhD, Vice President of Dow AgroSciences. “By combining our expertise in biotech crops and PBL’s innovative technology from JIC, we have the opportunity to enhance a plant’s ability to survive stress, increase nutrient utilization, and provide yield stability in challenging years or in parts of the world where there are less than favorable growing conditions.”
“We are delighted to enter this partnership with Dow AgroSciences,” said Dr Jan Chojecki, Managing Director of PBL. “This technology has real potential to benefit agriculture and address global challenges of food production, and Dow AgroSciences’ acknowledged strength in developing and commercializing new crop products is the key to achieving this important goal.”
For more information, please contact Dr Jan Chojecki ([email protected]).
Previous PBL newsletters have described the new broccoli, enriched with glucoraphanin, arising from plant breeding and selection carried out by Professor Richard Mithen while at the John Innes Centre. The new broccoli is now the focus of ongoing research at IFR by Prof Mithen's group into the wide ranging health benefits of dietary glucoraphanin (ref below, plus Am J Clin Sci paper). PBL has
exclusively licensed the enriched-glucoraphanin broccoli to Seminis Vegetable Seeds Inc ( ). Seminis have establised commercial development partnerships with various companies in the broccoli production and supply chain in order to bring the new broccoli to market. At the US Produce Marketing Association's annual convention in Orlando, Florida in October, Monsanto's partner Apio presented the broccoli to the US fresh produce trade, under the trade name Beneforté™. The following is extracted from :
"Broccoli has long been a healthy choice for consumers and soon a better broccoli option will be headed to the supermarket shelves. Beneforté™ broccoli naturally boosts the body's antioxidant enzyme levels at least two times more compared to other leading broccoli varieties.
Each serving of Beneforté™ broccoli naturally contains two to three times the phytonutrient glucoraphanin as a serving of other leading broccoli varieties produced under similar growing conditions. Glucoraphanin naturally boosts the body's antioxidant enzyme levels, and these enzymes help maintain the antioxidant activity of vitamins A, C and E in the body."
Gasper et al (2005). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 82 (6): 1283-1291.Traka M, Mithen R F (2009). Phytochemistry Reviews; 8 (1): 269-282.
PBL News Jan 03
Apio's news statement
For more information, please contact Dr Jan Chojecki ([email protected]). Tech ID: 95.059
Tech ID: 00.244
Wild type moss (L) andmutant lacking functional
RHD6 homlogue (R)
Saxena P, Hsieh YC, Alvarado VY, Sainsbury F, Saunders K, Lomonossoff GP, Scholthof HB (2010). Improved foreign gene expression in plants using a virus-encoded suppressor of RNA silencing modified to be developmentally harmless. Plant Biotechnol J; Epub 16 Nov 2010.
For more information, please contact Dr Lars von Borcke ([email protected]).
New Publication on P19m - Modified Suppressor of Gene Silencing
Tech ID: 05.399
Season’s Greetings from PBLSeason’s Greetings from PBL
PBL and IDEN Biotechnology s.l. (Pamplona, Spain) have enetered into a co-operation agreement under which PBL will market certain proprietary technology developed by IDEN in the field of plant carbohydrates and crop improvement. IDEN has a suite of patented technologies which they have developed and tested in crop
species and which PBL will offer to the agri-biotech industry using its broad network contacts in that sector. PBL's well-established provides an efficient channel to bring new innovations to the attention of industry investors in plant science.
TEC Club
For more information, please contact Dr Jan Chojecki ([email protected]).
PBL is delighted to announce that it has entered into a major licence agreement with a leading plant biotechnology company in respect of a new technology for achieving increased seed yield . The licence grants exclusive commercial rights to develop new varieties in a selected list of agricultural crops.
The technology was developed by Dr Yiguo Hong at The University of Warwick and PBL is managing the protection and development of the intellectual property under a licence from the University.
For more information, please contact Dr Jan Chojecki ([email protected]).
PBL to Market Technology from IDEN Biotechnology
FT Technology Licensed to Leading Plant Biotech Company
PBL, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UH, UKTel: +44(0)1603 456500 Fax: +44(0)1603 456552 www.pbltechnology.com
Innovation in life sciences
Markets technology to commercial
users
Concludes and monitors
technology licences
Manages and mentors the formation of
new technology-
based businesses
PBL is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exclusive, commercial licence with Aura Biosciences Inc, for the exploitation of a particular plant-virus as a vehicle for targeted drug delivery. The technology was developed collaboratively by JIC and Aura scientists, and will now be progressed towards clinical application by Aura.
For more information, please contact Dr Martin Stocks ([email protected]).
Targeted Drug Delivery System Licensed to Aura Biosciences
Tech ID: 08.458
Tech ID: 10.497
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IP protection
Funds and manages
patent filing and
Builds complementary
technology packages
PBL has been successful in recent months with several cooperative bids for , winning funds for Dr Phil Wigge and Dr Vinod Kumar to test applications of their
plant temperature response technology ( ) in crop plants, and for Dr Matt Hutchins at the University of East Anglia to develop a novel bacterial expression system, with wide applications in biotechnology. Previous FoF awards have already resulted in the ultimate success of commercial uptake of the innovations concerned - including root hair genes from John Innes Centre for crop improvement (see Dow article in this newsletter).
Another successful FoF project has led to demonstration of the probiotic benefits for animal health of a novel lactobaccillus strain from the research of Dr Arjan Narbad of the Instiute of Food Research. The FoF project demonstrated that the strain gave protection to chickens from the important infections campylobacter, clostridium and others, and represents a viable alterative to (now banned) antibiotic treatments ( ).
BBBSRC Follow-on Funding
PBL Tech ID 09.496
PBL Tech ID 05.369
PBL / JIC Spin-out Procarta Biosystems ReceivesMajor New Investment
Procarta Biosystems Ltd, which is developing a novel class of DNA-based antibiotics capable of tackling drug-resistant infections, announced today a round of equity investment totaling £730,000 with the potential to rise to £1.25 million. Procarta was established in 2007 by founders Dr Michael McArthur and Professor
Mervyn Bibb of the John Innes Centre (Norwich, UK) with support of PBL, the technology transfer company of John Innes Centre. The round was led by Morningside Venture Investments Limited and included Procarta’s current investors, Rainbow Seed Fund and Iceni Seedcorn Fund.
For more information, please contact Dr Michael McArthur ([email protected]).
Successes with BBSRC Follow-on Funding
PBL NEWSSeason’s Greetings from PBLSeason’s Greetings from PBL
