Danforth Center and Dow Agro Science Share Technology to Improve Cassava

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center has entered into a non-exclusive sublicense agreement with Dow AgroSciences LLC to gain access to gene expression technology held by Dow AgroSciences. The gene expression technology, developed at The Scripps Research Institute, will now be used to improve Danforth Center's research initiatives to improve cassava, especially in resisting virus diseases and increasing productivity that will benefit farmers in Africa.

The agreement allows Danforth Center to use a promoter, or DNA regulatory element, "that permits disease resistance genes to be introduced and function in the cassava plant thereby blocking viral replication." Such improvement tools will contribute to the study of Dr. Claude Fauquet of Danforth Center, who is currently developing disease resistance technology, targeting cassava mosaic disease and cassava brown streak disease. Danforth Center's researchers are currently working closely with African partners to improve, evaluate, and eventually release new varieties of cassava that will greatly reduce losses and enhance food security.

"We are very grateful to Dow AgroSciences for permitting us to use this very important tool to better enable our cassava improvement efforts and deliver the best solutions possible for the benefit of people who need it most," said Dr. Paul Anderson, executive director of international programs at the Danforth Center.

Read the media release at http://www.danforthcenter.org/wordpress/?p=5890.