Monsanto gets global license for Crispr genome editing
The Broad Institute holds several issued U.S. patents covering CRISPR-Cas technology. The parties expect that this non-exclusive license agreement will deliver a wide array of crop improvements to global agriculture.
“The license to CRISPR-Cas from the Broad Institute provides access to an exciting tool for our growing body of genome-editing research,” said Tom Adams, Ph.D., biotechnology lead for Monsanto. “Genome-editing technology is complementary to our ongoing discovery research and provides an incredible resource to further unlock our world-leading germplasm and genome libraries.”
Under the agreement, the Broad Institute grants Monsanto a worldwide non-exclusive license for agriculture applications of the CRISPR-Cas technology. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“Genome-editing techniques present precise ways to dramatically improve the scale and discovery efficiency of new research that can improve human health and global agriculture,” said Issi Rozen, Chief Business Officer of the Broad Institute. “We are encouraged to see these tools being used to help deliver responsible solutions to help farmers meet the demands of our growing population.”
CRISPR-Cas works by making precisely-targeted modifications in a cell's DNA, similar to the search-and-replace function in modern-day word processing applications. Genome-editing technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas, offer a way for scientists to promote site-directed integration of specific genes as well as the opportunity to enhance beneficial or remove undesired plant characteristics.
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