DuPont Pioneer Gains Exclusive License for Genome-Editing Technology from Vilnius University

DuPont Pioneer (DuPont) announced a technology license and research collaboration agreement with Vilnius University earlier this week to further the technical and commercial utility of guided Cas9 genome editing technology.

Under the agreement, DuPont receives an exclusive license to Vilnius University intellectual property for all commercial uses, including in agriculture. In addition, Vilnius University and DuPont have entered into a multi-year research collaboration to advance the development of the technology.

A team of scientists from the Vilnius University Institute of Biotechnology was one of the first groups to discover that the Cas9 protein could be repurposed to precisely edit targeted sections of an organism’s DNA to achieve a specific outcome. In plants, this can include promoting drought tolerance and disease resistance for protecting plant health and increasing crop yields.

Full version of news release is presented here.