They two companies have enetered a global licensing agreement to drive novel insect protection compounds derived from a naturally-occurring bacterium. The SpinoMetis platform builds on the established safety and efficacy profiles of other products of the same origin to provide a semi-synthetic, broad-spectrum approach to controlling key insect pests in agriculture. In early research, the platform has been shown to be comparable or superior to commercial comparators in trials evaluating performance against lepidopteran, hemipteran, and other pests.
“Our initial lab testing with the SpinoMetis platform showed promising results in insects of economic significance for farmers, so our team is eager to expand our evaluations to the field,” said Dr. Jeremy Williams, Monsanto agricultural productivity innovations lead.
The agreement includes an exclusive global license from AgriMetis to Monsanto for agricultural research in row, vegetable, and other crops for a three-year period, as well as an option for Monsanto to acquire exclusive commercial rights at the end of the term. AgriMetis is a company focused on discovering novel agrochemicals based on fermentative and/or synthetic improvements for crop protection.
(Source: Monsanto Company and AgriMetis, LLC)
