SG Biofuels and Life Technologies Team To Advance Jatropha as Sustainable Biofuel; Sequencing and Engineering to Optimize Yield
13 January 2010
SG Biofuels, a plant science company specializing in the development of Jatropha as a low-cost, sustainably produced source of oil (earlier post), has entered a strategic alliance with Life Technologies Corporation, a provider of innovative life science solutions, to advance the development of Jatropha as a sustainable biofuel.
The alliance brings together SG Biofuels’ Genetic Resource Center, featuring the largest and most diverse library of Jatropha genetic material in the world, with the advanced biotechnology and synthetic biology tools of Life Technologies.
The partnership will initially include sequencing the Jatropha curcas genome, allowing for the rapid introduction of new traits targeted toward increasing the yield of the oil-producing plant. Life Technologies will also become a strategic partner in SG Biofuels.
Jatropha curcas is a non-edible shrub that is native to Central America. Its seeds contain high amounts of oil that can be used for a variety of bio-based materials including biodiesel and feedstock substitutes for the petrochemical and jet fuel industries. It can be effectively grown on marginal lands that are considered undesirable for other crops.
By combining our library of Jatropha DNA with the extensive genetic expertise and resources of Life Technologies, we have the opportunity to unlock the true potential of Jatropha as the most profitable and sustainable biofuel feedstock. Sequencing the genome will allow us to rapidly develop region-specific cultivars from the promising traits we’ve already identified.
—Kirk Haney, President and Chief Executive Officer of SG Biofuels
SG Biofuels is a sustainable plant oil company using elite Jatropha cultivars and advanced agronomics to produce high-quality crude oil for less than $1.00 per gallon.
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