ST. LOUIS, Mo. and REHOVOT,
Israel, March 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- Plastomics, Inc., an agricultural biotech company,
developing a step change in trait delivery technology, and Evogene
Ltd.'s, (NASDAQ: EVGN) (TASE: EVGN), Ag-Seed division, focusing on
discovery and development of seed traits, announced today a
collaboration agreement targeting novel insect control traits for
soybean.
As part of the collaboration, Plastomics, utilizing its
disruptive new technology, will introduce Evogene's insect control
genes demonstrating new modes of action (MoAs) into soybeans. These
genes, which were discovered using Evogene's GeneRator AI engine,
have demonstrated insecticidal activity in different assays to
controlling insect colonies that are resistant and susceptible to
current commercial insect solutions. a significant challenge to
soybean growers.
The global market for biotech seeds is projected to reach a size
of US$45 Billion by 2027, where
biotech soybeans accounting for about 48% of the current market, is
predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.7% through
2027[1],2. New MoA insect control products have the
potential to deliver significant value to soybean growers by
addressing the increasing resistance of insects to current insect
solutions, all of which are essentially based on the same MoAs
introduced decades ago. The combination of the Plastomics' platform
together with Evogene's new MoA insect control genes, has the
future potential for controlling insect species in soybean and
other row crops.
Plastomics is a development stage company with novel technology
to introduce traits into plants in a manner that overcomes deficits
of traditional biotech trait introduction. Instead of relying
on nuclear transformation, which is the basis for all current
biotech crops on the market, Plastomics utilizes novel chloroplast
transformation technology. Taking advantage of the crop's
solar engine – the chloroplast – aims to solve challenges inherent
in traditional gene transfer to bring a new generation of trait
benefits across the value chain, including consumers, growers and
seed producers.
Jeffrey Staub, Ph.D., CTO at
Plastomics, stated: "We look forward to working with
Evogene to develop transformative solutions for insect control in
soybeans. The combination of insect control traits with novel modes
of action partnered with Plastomics' novel delivery system creates
the potential for a significant and needed step change in providing
growers with safe, sustainable and effective tools for insect
control."
Basia Vinocur, Ph.D., Evogene's VP-R&D Ag-Seeds,
stated: "We are very pleased to enter into this
relationship with Plastomics, utilizing their technology to
introduce our candidate genes for insect control into crops. There
is a dire need for new MoA insect control traits, and we are
looking forward to addressing it through our joint
efforts."
About Plastomics, Inc.:
Plastomics is a plant
biotechnology company making more effective and sustainable crops
by delivering valuable traits to the chloroplast – the solar engine
of the plant. Plastomics is committed to using its technology
to produce the next generation of agricultural crops to feed a
growing world. Plastomics is located in St. Louis, Missouri in the center of the 39
North Innovation District in the middle of America's Heartland.
This location provides access to the unique benefits of the
technical expertise and specialized capabilities (e.g. greenhouse,
growth chamber, tissue culture and advanced microscopy) of the
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. For more information,
please visit www.plastomics.com
About Evogene's Ag-Seed division:
The Ag-Seed division
is focusing on the discovery and development of novel seed trait
products for fulfilling the growing demands for food, feed and
other industrial market needs. The Ag-Seed division utilizes
Evogene's state-of–the-art proprietary computational predictive
platform, the CPB and its GeneRator AI engine, harnessing the power
of big data and artificial intelligence, for the discovery and
development of improved seed trait products.
About Evogene Ltd.:
Evogene (NASDAQ:
EVGN), (TASE: EVGN) is a leading computational biology company
focused on revolutionizing product discovery and development in
multiple life-science based industries, including human health and
agriculture, through the use of its broadly applicable
Computational Predictive Biology (CPB) platform. The CPB
platform, incorporating a deep understanding of biology leveraged
through the power of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, has been
designed to computationally discover and guide the development of
life-science products based on microbes, small molecules and
genetic elements. Utilizing the CPB platform, Evogene and its
subsidiaries are now advancing product pipelines for human
microbiome-based therapeutics through Biomica Ltd., medical
cannabis through Canonic Ltd., ag-biologicals through Lavie Bio
Ltd., ag-chemicals through AgPlenus Ltd., seed traits through the
Ag-Seeds division, and ag-solutions for castor oil production
through Casterra Ltd. For more information, please
visit www.evogene.com.
Plastomics Forward Looking Statements
This press
release contains "forward-looking statements" relating to future
events. These statements may be identified by words such as "may",
"could", "expects", "intends", "anticipates", "plans", "believes",
"scheduled", "estimates" or words of similar meaning. Such
statements are based on current expectations, estimates,
projections and assumptions, describe opinions about future events,
involve certain risks and uncertainties which are difficult to
predict and are not guarantees of future performance. Therefore,
actual future results, performance or achievements of Plastomics
may differ materially from what is expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, many of
which beyond Plastomics' control, including, without limitation,
those risk factors contained in Plastomics' reports filed with the
appropriate securities authority. Plastomics disclaims any
obligation or commitment to update these forward-looking statements
to reflect future events or developments or changes in
expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions.
Evogene Forward Looking Statements
This press release
contains "forward-looking statements" relating to future events.
These statements may be identified by words such as "may", "could",
"expects", "intends", "anticipates", "plans", "believes",
"scheduled", "estimates" or words of similar meaning. For example,
Evogene is using forward-looking statements in this press release
when it discusses the testing of Evogene genes using Plastomic's
technology and the potential of a new MoA insect control product to
deliver value to soybean growers and to control insect species in
soybean and other row crops. Such statements are based on current
expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions, describe
opinions about future events, involve certain risks and
uncertainties which are difficult to predict and are not guarantees
of future performance. Therefore, actual future results,
performance or achievements of Evogene may differ materially from
what is expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements due
to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond the control of
Evogene, including, without limitation, the global spread of
COVID-19, or the Coronavirus, the various restrictions deriving
therefrom and those risk factors contained in Evogene's reports
filed with the applicable securities authorities. In addition,
Evogene relies, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties to
conduct certain activities, such as its field-trials and
pre-clinical studies, and if these third parties do not
successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with
regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines (including as a
result of the effect of the Coronavirus), Evogene may experience
significant delays in the conduct of its activities. Evogene
disclaim any obligation or commitment to update these
forward-looking statements to reflect future events or developments
or changes in expectations, estimates, projections and
assumptions.
Plastomics Contacts:
Martha
Schlicher
President and CEO, Plastomics, Inc.
E: martha@plastomics.com
T: (314)703-7198
US Investor Relations
Vivian Cervantes
PCG Advisory
E: vivian@pcgadvisory.com
T: 646-863-6274
Evogene Contacts:
Rivka
Neufeld/ Aviva Banczewski
Investor Relations and Public Relations Manager
E: IR@evogene.com
T: +972-8-931-1900
US Investor Relations:
Joseph Green
Edison Group
E: jgreen@edisongroup.com
T: +1 646-653-7030
Laine Yonker
Edison Group
E: lyonker@edisongroup.com
T: +1 646-653-7035
1. Global GMO Crops and Seeds Industry; September 2020
[https://www.reportlinker.com/p05960955/Global-GMO-Crops-and-Seeds-Industry.html?utm_source=GNW]
2. Global Market Report: Soybeans, October
2020
[https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-10/ssi-global-market-report-soybean.pdf]
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content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plastomics-and-evogenes-ag-seed-division-enter-a-collaborative-agreement-targeting-novel-insect-control-traits-for-soybean-301249298.html
SOURCE Evogene Ltd; Plastomics