Duckweed

Summary

Duckweeds are small, fresh-water plants with a world-wide distribution. They are exploited for protein production due to two unusual aspects of their growth: the plants reproduce vegetatively by budding and under intensive culture they accumulate a very high rate of biomass. The level of protein production can achieve that obtained with yeast gene expression systems.

Two entities have patents and patent applications directed to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of duckweed:

• North Carolina State University has been granted a United States patent directed to transformation of duckweed tissue with Agrobacterium having a gene of interest. The invention further comprises a method for mass production of recombinant proteins or peptides from duckweed cultures.
• Yeda Research & Development Co. has filed patent applications in Europe, Australia and Canada directed to a transformed Lemnaceae plant with Agrobacterium. Lemnaceae is the name of the botanical family to which duckweed belongs. Duckweeds from the genera Spirodela, Lemna and Wolffia are used for the production of various chemical and biological products. The claims as filed recite different methods for the transformation of Lemnaceae such as in planta transformation, microinjection of Agrobacterium cells into meristematic plant cells and incubation of meristematic plant cells with Agrobacterium.

Although the inventions disclosed by both institutes may overlap in terms of the subject matter, they have been filed in different countries. The claims as filed by Yeda Research & Development Co. in the European patent application are broad and may have a different scope if granted.

The information contained in this page was believed to be correct at the time it was collated. New patents and patent applications, altered status of patents, and case law may have resulted in changes in the landscape. CAMBIA makes no warranty that it is correct or up to date at this time and accepts no liability for any use that might be made of it. Corrections or updates to the information are welcome. Please send an email to info@bios.net.

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