Pasteuria Bioscience Signs Agreement With Syngenta to Develop Bio-Nematicides Based on Pasteuria

ALACHUA, Fla., June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pasteuria Bioscience has announced that it has entered into an exclusive global technology partnership with Syngenta, a world leader in agri-business focusing on sustainable agriculture.  The agreement will allow for the development of innovative bio-nematicide products based on Pasteuria spp., a naturally-occurring soil bacteria long recognized as a promising biological control agent against nematodes.

"We're excited to be working in collaboration with Syngenta," said David Duncan, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer for Pasteuria Bioscience.  "This partnership is significant for the worldwide commercialization of Pasteuria-based products in a broad variety of agricultural and specialty crops."

The initial emphasis for product development will be the advancement of seed treatment products for soybean cyst nematode (SCN) control, estimated to cause more than $1 billion in crop losses each year in the United States alone.  The addition of Pasteuria will complement existing Syngenta technologies and products.

"This global technology platform will offer growers a novel biological mode of action for nematode control," said Christoph Goppelsroeder, Syngenta Global Head of Seed Care.  "Recent field trial results in soybean have shown encouraging results, demonstrating that this technology combined with Syngenta's seed treatment expertise can provide growers with a significant opportunity to increase their yields."

About Pasteuria Bioscience

Pasteuria Bioscience, Inc., was founded in 2003 in the University of Florida's Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator where it remains headquartered.  The company was developed to commercialize its revolutionary technology for production of biological nematode control products based on the Pasteuria platform.  The first Pasteuria-based product Econem® was commercialized in 2010 for sting nematode control in the golf and sports turf markets.  Pasteuria Bioscience is also developing products to treat major nematode pests in most agricultural crops such as soybean, sugar beet and cotton as well as in specialty crops such as fruits and vegetables.  For more information, visit the Pasteuria Bioscience web site at http://www.pasteuriabio.com.

Note to the editor:

Learn more about Syngenta here.

Read a feature story on nematodes here.

SOURCE Pasteuria Bioscience

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