Biotech Updates

Global Biotech Research Center in Beijing

May 9, 2008

Agribusiness company Syngenta will build a new biotech research and technology center at the Zhongguancun Life Science Park in Beijing, China. The facilities will enable research on early stage evaluation of GM and native traits for key crops such as corn and soybean. Crop traits to be studied include yield improvement, drought resistance, disease control and biomass conversion for biofuels. Initial operations start this summer although the facilities will be completed in 2010.

Syngenta had earlier completed the share transaction with the Chinese corn seeds company Sanbei Seed Co. Ltd in Hebei province. It  also entered into a five-year research collaboration with the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) in Beijing on the development of novel agronomic traits for key crops such as corn, soybean, wheat, sugar beet and sugarcane.

See Syngenta's press release at http://www.syngenta.com/en/media/press/2008/04-17.htm