News Release

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, DuPont join forces to boost crop yields, meet global demand

R&D collaboration to bring new choices, more options to global agriculture

Business Announcement

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY and WILMINGTON, DE – Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and DuPont today announced they have entered into a multi-year research collaboration for crop genetics research on yield enhancement and development of enabling technologies in corn, soybeans and other important agricultural crops. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We’re eager to tap into the creativity of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory scientists and put our combined innovation to work in the challenges farmers face around the world,” said William S. Niebur, vice president – DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development.

“Increasing crop yields is critical to meet growing global demands for food, feed, fuel and fiber,” Niebur said. “The collaboration will develop technologies that accelerate the rate of yield increase, as well as traits that will bring value to farmers worldwide.”

“This collaboration will accelerate the contributions of plant biology and bioinformatics research to improve global agriculture,” said CSHL President Bruce Stillman, Ph.D. “The fusion of our academic and industry research strengths will produce unique approaches to advance plant science in areas of mutual interest.”

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business and world leader in agricultural plant genetics, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an internationally recognized leader in plant biology, have collaborated on individual projects over the past decade. This multi-project, multi-year effort will allow for a deeper sharing of information that aims to facilitate unique approaches to long-term agronomic challenges.

Several teams of researchers from both organizations will make use of extensive genomics data, trait information and germplasm resources from Pioneer in the discovery research collaboration. Pioneer also will have responsibility for bringing innovations and technologies resulting from the collaboration to the marketplace.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.

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DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

Founded in 1890, CSHL is a private, non-profit research and education institution with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant genetics, genomics and bioinformatics. The transposable genetic elements, or “jumping genes,” discovered in the middle of the 20th Century at CSHL by Nobel prize winner Barbara McClintock, are the building blocks of plant genetics research today. CSHL is at the forefront of research to isolate plant genes and unravel the genomic sequences of plants such as Arabidopsis, maize and rice. For more information visit www.cshl.edu.


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