2Blades licenses TAL Code technology to DuPont Pioneer

By CnAgri Print

The Two Blades Foundation (2Blades) announced the completion of a non-exclusive license agreement with DuPont Pioneer for access to 2Blades' TAL Code technology for commercial uses in certain crop plants.

The Transcription Activator Like (TAL) effector code enables a number of highly useful tools to target specific loci in a genome and modulate the expression of genes. Named as the Best Novel Agricultural Biotechnology in 2012 by Informa Agrow, the TAL Code technology is based on novel sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins that can be designed quickly and easily to recognize virtually any sequence of interest. Application of these tools in plants will facilitate the optimization of beneficial genes and the development of more productive crops in the future.

The TAL Code technology was discovered by Ulla Bonas, Jens Boch, Thomas Lahaye, and Sebastian Schornack at Martin-Luther University in Halle, Germany. The Two Blades Foundation holds exclusive rights for commercial uses of the technology in plants and has undertaken a broad licensing program.

DuPont Pioneer has a long history of investing in genome engineering technologies. The license to TAL Code technology enhances its ability to further develop advanced plant genetics. DuPont Pioneer will grant 2Blades access to its improvements to the TAL Code technology for use in 2Blades' humanitarian efforts to support subsistence farming. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.