Biotech Updates

Monsanto Licenses Use of Cellectis' Genome Modification Technology

September 4, 2009

Monsanto Company obtained a non-exclusive research and commercial license agreement with Cellectis S.A., a biotechnology company in France, for use of its meganuclease technology in plants. Meganucleases, as defined in a Monsanto press release, are "molecular scissors that can be directed to a single site in the genome of a plant cell. This allows a wide range of precise genome modifications, including gene stacking, gene knock-out as well as modulation of gene function to develop new traits."

Robert Fraley, chief technology officer for Monsanto said that "This technology has the potential to accelerate delivery of our ever expanding trait pipeline to farmers in the form of value-added, multi-trait products."

For the full press release view http://monsanto.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=745