Athenix, a 7-year-old Research Triangle Park company whose research was advanced by a $150,000 loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in 2002, has signed a collaboration agreement with Syngenta, which has facilities in Research Triangle Park and Greensboro.
The firms will discover and develop novel genes capable of making corn resistant to insects and soybeans resistant to cyst nematodes.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. It calls for Athenix to screen its microbial strain collection for gene leads targeting corn rootworm, European corn borer, broad lepidopteran and soybean cyst nematode control. The resultant gene leads will be provided to Syngenta for further development.
Syngenta will have exclusive global ownership on any corn and soybean transformation events developed using Athenix lead genes, excluding Australia and New Zealand. Athenix may further license gene leads it generates in the discovery process.
Athenix has repaid its Small Business Research loan from the Biotechnology Center with money subsequently raised by outside investors.