Access to significant % of earth's landmass (g).
Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Diversa Corporation (Nasdaq: DVSA - news) today announced the signing of a biodiversity access agreement giving the company rights to obtain environmental samples from Russia. Diversa will work with Russia through the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to obtain samples from unique Russian habitats. This agreement gives Diversa the rights to discover genes from these samples and commercialize resulting products in multiple markets.
A Russian Ecological Biotrade Center, the first of its kind in Russia, will be created as part of the agreement. Through the center and an innovative nonproliferation initiative sponsored by the Department of Energy, U.S. and Russian scientists will work to discover novel bioactive compounds from selected pristine and contaminated environments in Russia. Diversa will support sample collection efforts and pay royalties to Russia on Diversa's revenues from products developed from samples collected in Russia. Environmental samples will be collected from Russia's diverse ecosystems and Diversa will apply its proprietary genomics technologies to explore microbial diversity in Russia with the combined support of the Department of Energy.
This agreement is part of Diversa's global biodiversity access network, which is based on pioneering research collaborations with Alaska, Costa Rica, Bermuda, Iceland, Indonesia, Yellowstone National Park, Mexico and The Meadowlands, NJ.
``By working with U.S. and Russian research organizations, we are helping to redirect military research efforts into applications that benefit society, as well as advance our commercial opportunities,'' stated Jay M. Short, Ph.D., President and CEO of Diversa Corporation. ``We are applying our ultra high-throughput discovery technologies to identify and develop superior products for the pharmaceutical, agricultural, chemical processing and industrial markets.''
``Through the collaboration of former weapons institutes in Russia, the Energy Department's national labs and the private sector, we are redirecting former Soviet weapons expertise towards peaceful activities,'' said Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson. ``We are promoting scientific and commercial use of Russia's natural resources in a manner that is environmentally sound. The creation of the ecological center is an exceptional opportunity for participants on all sides.''
``The INEEL will work closely with Diversa and the U.S. Department of Energy to assure that our goals are met at the new Russian Ecological Biotrade Center. It is great to see the U.S. government, industry and the Russian scientists working together to find new products to enhance the quality of life,'' said William Toth, Program Manager, Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention Program, INEEL Labs.
The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's missions in environment, energy, science and national security. The INEEL is operated for the DOE by Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC, in partnership with the Inland Northwest Research Alliance.... |
