DuPont Forms Wheat Alliance With UK Biotech Research Institutes

DuPont, the John Innes Centre, the Sainsbury Laboratory and Plant Bioscience Ltd. have formed a strategic research alliance to develop new wheat varieties and wheat products with improved agronomic, industrial and food uses. Although terms of the agreement were not disclosed, the Wheat Alliance will be managed by a joint wheat research council, composed of scientists from each of the participating parties.

The alliance will provide the John Innes Centre and the Sainsbury Laboratory, located in Norwich, England, with access to DuPont's genomics research tools and with opportunities for collaborations, scientific exchanges and training for students. For DuPont, the alliance helps to build a relationship with two research institutes widely recognized for their contributions to molecular biology and provides a further element to its wheat biotechnology research program.

According to DuPont, some anticipated areas for alliance research include improved wheat grain quality and the development of disease resistant wheat.

The research conducted under the collaborative alliance will be commercialized through the DuPont Wheat Enterprise, which was established earlier this year. The Enterprise comprises the DuPont Cereal Innovation Centre (Cambridge, England), Hybrinova (Paris, France) and DuPont's US operations (Wilmington, DE).

For more information: Gabrielle King, DuPont. Telephone: 302-992-6285.