DuPont Pioneer and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc., announced today that they have entered into a license collaboration to evaluate and commercialize new gene leads for increased water use efficiency (WUE) and improved photosynthesis in corn. Under the agreement, DuPont Pioneer and Mendel will evaluate these new gene leads and test them for yield-enhancement traits in Pioneer brand corn products. These gene leads were identified by Mendel in its next-generation plant physiology platform.

“Greater efficiency in water use and photosynthesis can enhance farmer profitability and productivity, while improving sustainability of agriculture worldwide,” said Mike Lassner, vice president, Agricultural Biotechnology Trait Discovery, DuPont Pioneer. “We are pleased to collaborate with Mendel in developing new, improved Pioneer brand corn hybrids. Working together with technology innovators increases our ability to meet the needs of a growing global population.”

“We are excited to be working with Pioneer to develop new, resource-use-efficient corn hybrids,” said Neal Gutterson, CEO, Mendel.  “We are leveraging 15 years of focused research in plant gene regulatory networks, taking advantage of the genomics and sequencing revolutions, to create better and more sustainable crop solutions.”

Hayward, California-based Mendel Biotechnology, Inc., is a leading plant science company known for its plant gene regulatory network platform and other proprietary tools.