Last Updated on 9/19/02
Email: information@biotech-info.net
Press Release
The John Innes Centre (JIC)[1] and Sainsbury Laboratory (SL)[2],
Norwich, have today announced that one of their commercial partners has
signalled its intention to withdraw from a major research alliance that
was established three years ago. The Biotechnology and Biological
Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) [3], the sponsoring body of the JIC,
has also expressed its regret at the ending of this research alliance.
This decision is a result of the company’s global reorganisation
following the merger of agricultural businesses AstraZeneca and Novartis.
“While the termination of this innovative research and technology
transfer agreement is regrettable,” said Professor Chris Lamb (Director
of the JIC) “it will not affect our commitment to remaining at the
forefront of international wheat research. We are already in discussion
with Syngenta about maximising the scientific benefit of the now
truncated joint venture.
Wheat is the principal cereal crop in the UK and our research on wheat
genomics will continue to provide new opportunities for UK breeders and
growers. Transferring what we learn to industry is a key part of the
research process and this decision is obviously a setback to this
process.
However, JIC has a strong portfolio of knowledge and technology transfer
mechanisms that will continue to help ensure that our research is made
available to industrial and other users as efficiently as possible."
The research collaboration, agreed in 1999, included three elements:
Syngenta has made a business decision to eliminate overlap of expertise
and resources that resulted from the merger of Zeneca Agrochemicals and
Novartis Agribusiness.
“We are obviously disappointed that this collaboration will not be
continuing as envisaged,” says Professor Julia Goodfellow, Chief
Executive of the BBSRC. “The John Innes Centre is one of Europe’s premier
facilities for plant and microbial science, and its internationally
acclaimed research will not be significantly affected by this decision.
This decision is particularly sad as it comes at a time when research is
rapidly opening up new opportunities for understanding plant genetics
and streamlining the selective breeding process in ways that could help
support sustainable food production worldwide. However we recognise the
company has had to reassess its needs following merger.”
Mr Don O’Nions (JIC Company Secretary) said, “The collaboration is
subject to a detailed legal contract which includes termination clauses
that cover exactly this contingency. In the coming weeks we will be
working with Syngenta to develop an exit strategy for them that honours
their commitments and protects the interests of the JIC and the SL”.
“The funding from the collaboration agreement with Syngenta was for
short-term research projects and was additional to the support for our
main science programmes from public bodies and charities”, said Professor
David Baulcombe (Head of the Sainsbury Laboratory). It is disappointing
that we have lost an opportunity for development of our science. However
we shall continue to explore every possible way of realising the
potential of our research to benefit farmers, consumers and the environment.”
Notes for editor
[1] John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK is an independent, world-leading
research centre in plant and microbial sciences. The JIC has over 850
staff and students. JIC carries out high quality fundamental, strategic
and applied research to understand how plants and microbes work at the
molecular, cellular and genetic levels. The JIC also trains scientists
and students, collaborates with many other research laboratories and
communicates its science to end-users and the general public. The JIC is
grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
[2] The Sainsbury Laboratory has a worldwide reputation for research on
molecular plant-microbe interactions. The major aim of the Laboratory is
to pursue the fundamental processes involved in the interactions of
plants and their microbial pathogens and symbionts. Funding for the
Laboratory is primarily through grants from a charitable foundation. In
addition grants are obtained from research councils, the European Union
and other organizations. The laboratory is located at the John Innes
Centre, Norwich, UK, which is an independent, world-leading research
centre in plant and microbial science.
[3] BBSRC is one of the seven Research Councils sponsored through the UK
Government’s Office of Science and Technology and invests around £220
million per annum in the biosciences. BBSRC sustains a world-class
bioscience research community for the UK. Its mission is not only to
fund internationally competitive research, but also to provide training
in the biosciences, to foster opportunities for knowledge transfer and
innovation and to promote interaction with the public and other
stakeholders on issues of scientific interest. The wide range of
research funded by BBSRC makes a significant contribution to the quality
of life for UK citizens and supports a number of important industrial
stakeholders including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and
pharmaceutical sectors.
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"With the controversy over genetically modified foods spreading across
the globe and taking a toll on the stocks of companies with
agricultural-biotechnology businesses, it's hard to see those companies
as a good investment, even in the long term."
The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 7, 2000
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Last Updated on 9/19/02 Email: information@biotech-info.net |
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