BIOTECHNOLOGY
The Next Generation of Traits
With a track record of over 11 years and 1.4 billion acres, plant biotechnology has proven its effectiveness and reliability in food, feed and fiber crops, and promises much more.
Biotech tools allow us to precisely add traits in ways not feasible through other plant breeding methods. Here, our genomics capabilities and proprietary gene-expression systems have expanded biotechnology's application from single genes to groups of genes. We also have greater control over how, when and where specific genes are expressed in plants. Our work includes use of recombinant DNA, cell culture, and related technologies needed to optimize gene-trait combinations identified by our genomics platform, as well as gene transfer systems needed to transform plants.
After we identify a useful gene, we optimize its performance, including identifying the places and conditions when the gene should be turned on or off. Traits may also require a combination of genes to be commercially useful. For example, a gene conferring prolonged, mild drought tolerance may need to be combined with a gene conferring improved recovery from severe drought in order to produce a commercially useful drought-tolerant plant.
We have focused our biotech development efforts on introducing commercially relevant traits in dedicated energy crops, including traits that convey improved biomass yields, greater photosynthetic efficiency, higher stress tolerance (e.g., heat, cold, drought, salt), more efficient nitrogen utilization, larger root biomass, and enhanced processing characteristics. Traits that improve the propagation of plants and seeds are also being investigated.