Marrone Bio Innovations and DSM Food Specialties Sign Collaborative Agreement

04 June 2014 --- Bio-based pest management company, Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI), and specialty ingredients manufacturer, DSM Food Specialties (DSM), have announced they have signed a collaborative agreement. The agreement?s goal is to unlock the full potential of biological active ingredients to improve crop production and food safety, within the food supply chain.

MBI and DSM will exchange micro-organisms from their libraries in order for their respective research teams to screen for biological activity in their specific areas of interest. For DSM, its area of interest is applications for its food ingredients business and for MBI, its interest is in crop protection and plant health areas.

“This agreement takes advantage of each company’s strength in its core competencies,” explained Dr Alison Stewart, MBI’s Senior VP of Research & Development and Chief Technology Officer. “DSM Food Specialties is a world leader in fermentation and enzyme technology and is the ideal partner for exploring new applications of microbial strains for food safety and other food ingredient applications.” She added, “Conversely, MBI has an industry-leading screening and development process to identify and commercialize candidates for crop protection and plant health applications. I believe we can expect viable development candidates to emerge from our collective research.”

Ruth Donners, Innovation Manager, Food and Crop Protection for DSM, commented on the agreement, “This is a great example of how new advances in research can be maximized through collaboration. Both DSM and MBI have focused sets of skills that will be utilized in finding new applications for active ingredients the companies may not have accessed otherwise. Each of our teams conducting the research in which they specialize will give us the best opportunity for success.”

Marrone Bio Innovations is a leading provider of bio-based pest management and plant health products for the agriculture, turf and ornamental, and water treatment markets. Its effective and environmentally responsible solutions help customers operate more sustainably while controlling pests, improving plant health, and increasing crop yields.  
 
Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials.