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Mendel and Monsanto combine to develop grass feedstock |
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Written by Giles Clark, London
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Tuesday, 29 April 2008 |
Mendel Biotechnology and Monsanto have signed a collaborative agreement covering the development of perennial grass seed for use in biofuels and other commercial applications. The agreement, announced today (29th April), is the latest in a series of cooperative projects between the two companies including work on corn, soy, cotton and canola.
"Mendel sees a bright future for second generation biofuels. We recognize the need to continue growing our capabilities and expertise to enable us to best serve farmers and refiners with proprietary seed products," said Neal Gutterson, president and chief executive officer of Mendel. "Monsanto is the global leader in the development and commercialization of high-value, sustainable seed products. We are excited to work with Monsanto's outstanding technical team to enhance our ability to create high-performing dedicated energy crops."
"Monsanto has been committed to providing farmers with higher grain yields to help them meet demand for food, feed and fuel," said Steve Padgette, vice president of biotechnology at Monsanto. "This collaboration has the potential to advance discoveries in the next frontier: cellulosic biofuels. It also presents both companies with an opportunity to broaden our understanding of the strengths and potential applications of biomass grasses to biofuels production."
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