The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said that it has entered a partnership with Intertek, an industrial testing services provider to allow the company use rice DNA markers that IRRI develops
IRRI said that the partnership would result in better service for Intertek clients in the rice industry. The agreement is non-exclusive.
The agreement will help in broader distribution of IRRI's DNA markers for marker-assisted rice breeding programmes. The markers can also be used for quality control.
As part of the agreement, Intertek agreed to provide a volume of sample analysis free of charge.
“The cooperation between IRRI and Intertek will allow rice breeders and consumers all over the world to access low-density DNA markers to screen for high-value traits, including new tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses,” said Patrick Stolt, Intertek Global Product Line Leader.
“IRRI’s groundbreaking and comprehensive R&D work will allow Intertek labs in India, Australia, and Sweden to serve customers both on a global and local level by providing low-cost and fast-turnaround genotyping services,” Stolt, added.
“The partnership with Intertek allows us to leverage our innovations and accelerate impact on rice value chains, for the benefit of rice farmers,” said Rémy Bitoun, head of IRRI Tech Transfer.
“With Intertek’s extensive experience in genotyping services for the seed and breeding industry, IRRI’s research on rice DNA markers will reach more stakeholders, speeding up development of much needed novel rice varieties,” Bitoun, said.
