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News Releases - Brad Trost announces new partnership to boost renewable energy
December 11, 2009 — Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Brad Trost, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon-Humboldt, announced on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today that the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. are working together to develop innovative technology for the agricultural industry that will boost crop production and improve yields for oilseeds such as canola and mustard.
The five-year project, which will focus on developing open-access intellectual property for all industry, will support the production of environmentally friendly bioproducts for industrial and energy markets.
Steve Fabijanski, President of Agrisoma Biosciences, announcing partnership with NRC-PBI
"Crop research scientists are the unsung heroes of a modern society," said Mr. Trost. "Increased crop yields and lower fertilizer and herbicide use protects the environment while feeding more people on less land. And now, thanks to these new scientific advancements, Canadians will soon be using low-emission biofuels to power their vehicles."
By using less land to generate more consistent and stable harvests, this leading-edge research has the potential to generate billions of dollars for Canada's economy.
"NRC research facilities and its skilled experts work together with industry partners to accelerate community-led innovation with a clear focus on generating economic opportunities for Canadian communities," said Jerome Konecsni, Director General of the NRC Plant Biotechnology Institute. "The results: new knowledge, new skills, new partnerships and new business opportunities focused on the priorities of Canadians."
This partnership is an example of how the NRC cluster initiative in Saskatoon increases the competitiveness of the region by creating a dynamic location where companies, government, and universities can network, invest and bring innovative technologies to market.
The project will merge innovative technologies such as Agrisoma Biosciences' Engineered Trait Loci (ETL) system and a gene discovery program developed by NRC to develop non-food crops in an environmentally sustainable way. These technologies will support farmers who grow high-quality oilseed crops.
"NRC is a global leader in plant biotechnology, and this strategic partnership complements and strengthens our industrial program in renewable energy and biofuel crops," said Steven Fabijanski, President and CEO of Agrisoma Biosciences. "The combination of our ETL technology and NRC's strengths will enable the development of these crops."
Agrisoma Biosciences is located at NRC's Industry Partnership Facility in Saskatoon. In 2006, a collaborative agreement was signed to begin research into oilseeds. This collaboration continues to produce important discoveries, including the development of larger, healthier canola and mustard seeds that produce more oil.
About the National Research Council
The National Research Council is dedicated to improving Canadian crops to benefit the Canadian economy. It performs and promotes research and innovation that improves plant biotechnology methods and adds value and quality to Canadian crops to keep our agricultural sector strong and competitive.
About Agrisoma Biosciences Inc.
Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. uses innovative ETL technology to develop new generations of crops for the bioenergy and agricultural industry. Its technology focuses on improving crop performance, quality and environmental benefits, producing crops for the renewable energy and manufacturing sector.
Backgrounder
Government of Canada supports innovative partnership between NRC and Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. to develop technology that supports production of healthier, more sustainable crops
About the National Research Council-Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. bioproducts project
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. are working together to develop innovative technology for the agricultural industry that will boost crop production and improve yields for oilseeds such as canola and mustard.
The five-year project will focus on developing open-access intellectual property that will support the production of environmentally friendly bioproducts for industrial and energy markets.
By using less land to generate more consistent and stable harvests, this leading-edge research has the potential to generate billions of dollars for Canada's economy.
This partnership is an example of how the NRC cluster initiative in Saskatoon increases the competitiveness of the region by creating a dynamic location where companies, government, and universities can network, invest and bring innovative technologies to market.
The project will merge innovative technologies such as Agrisoma Biosciences' Engineered Trait Loci (ETL) system and a gene discovery program developed by NRC to develop non-feedstock crops in an environmentally sustainable way.
The NRC gene discovery program supports genomics research by creating new opportunities for plant breeding where the linkage of genes to particular seed traits can lead to more efficient and predictable outcomes in breeding programs.
These projects have resulted in the identification of specific genes that can be used for crop improvement.
Agrisoma Biosciences' ETL technology is a patent-protected, broadly applicable technology that facilitates the placement of new traits in the native genome of a crop. The technology is used to engineer new chromosome structures in plants by precisely introducing desired genetic traits into a specific chromosome of the crop, creating a new standard of consistency, performance and stability.
ETL technology is being used to improve oil composition, oil content and crop yield for the renewable energy market.
These technologies support the agricultural industry by producing high-quality oilseed crops that make better use of agricultural land.
About the National Research Council Plant Biotechnology Institute (NRC-PBI)
The National Research Council Plant Biotechnology Institute (NRC-PBI) is Canada's premier research organization dedicated to commodity and specialty crop plant biotechnology research. The institute is located in Saskatoon, Sask.
Researchers at NRC-PBI have identified and characterized a series of genes involved in altering the content and composition of seed oil in plants. NRC-PBI researchers are able to identify novel genes and markers to assist breeders in the development of new varieties with higher yield and stress tolerance, reduced input requirements and modified oil profiles.
These improvements increase crop value for farmers while addressing Government of Canada priority areas in environmental, human health and energy sustainability. For more information, please visit: www.pbi-ibp.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
About Agrisoma Biosciences Inc.
Founded in 2001, Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. is a leading-edge agricultural biotechnology company that uses its innovative Engineered Trait Loci (ETL) gene expression technology to create new crop varieties engineered for high-value applications such as biofuel production and renewable manufacturing feedstock.
Agrisoma Biosciences is creating and testing improved varieties of oilseeds for renewable fuels and renewable manufacturing. ETL technology helps accelerates sustainable biofuel production by rapidly developing new crop varieties that offer sustainable production of high-value crops.
It has research and development operations in Saskatchewan and Ontario and is a client of the Industry Partnership Facility at NRC. For more information, please visit: www.agrisoma.com.
About the NRC Industry Partnership Facility
Agrisoma Biosciences is located at NRC's Industry Partnership Facility in Saskatoon. In 2006, a collaborative agreement was signed with NRC to begin research into oilseeds. This collaboration continues to produce important discoveries, including the development of larger, healthier canola and soybean seed that produces more oil.
The NRC Industry Partnership Facility in Saskatoon supports innovative companies, increasing the competitiveness of the region by creating a dynamic location where businesses and government can network, invest and bring innovative technologies to market.
Clients that incubate at the NRC Industry Partnership Facility have access to leading-edge R&D, innovative equipment, flexible laboratory and office space, and many of NRC's most talented business and technology professionals.
