Danforth Center Expands Work to Improve Crop Productivity in the Developing World to New Level with New Institute for International Crop Improvement

Online, October 22, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's Institute for International Crop Improvement (IICI), has been established to expand research efforts, trait improvements, product development and biosafety to include a greater range of food security crops. The overall aim of the IICI is to bring improved crops that yield more per acre, are richer in essential nutrients and resistant to disease, insects and drought to small farmers in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In addition, the Biosafety Resource Network (BRN) which was founded in 2009 and provides support to projects at the Danforth Center, will serve as a key resource of the IICI. In this expanded role, the BRN will provide support for projects to improve staple crops inside and outside the Danforth Center as well as those that go beyond the central theme of "food security" such as to reduce the spread of malaria or develop microbial regulators of plant growth.

The IICI, directed by Dr. Paul Anderson, will expand and assist partnerships to focus on staple crops, such as sweet potato, banana, cassava, sorghum, maize, rice, groundnuts, millet and cowpea that are typically not the focus of commercial entities but are extremely important to the livelihood of subsistence farmers. Anderson and his proficient team will also provide advice and oversight to assist other institutions who are working to through the process of field trials and safety testing necessary to bring products to the farmer's field.

"The Institute is an applied product development arm of the Danforth Center. This is where plant technology developed at the Center and by other institutions can be translated into crop improvements that are safe and effective and can be delivered to where it is needed most. This makes the Center unique among institutions of its kind," Anderson said.

Anderson's team has more than 100 years of combined experience in applied plant science, crop improvement, product development and international collaboration. This expertise will be employed to guide projects through the complicated and technical process of bringing new agricultural products to market. Capabilities include planning and coordination, field testing, regulatory strategy development and biosafety communications, technical analysis and nutritional evaluation.

About The Institute for International Crop Improvement
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center established the Institute for International Crop Improvement (IICI) to serve as the next step toward enabling the Center to advance its mission to "Improve the human condition through plant science" by using the most effective technology for a meaningful impact on food production, food quality and food security. Working through partnerships in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the Institute pursues crop improvement through advanced technology for a meaningful impact on food production and food quality. The IICI is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Monsanto Fund, the McDonnell Family and USAID from the American people.

About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research at the Danforth Center will feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance the St. Louis region and Missouri as a world center for plant science. The Center's work is funded through competitive grants and contract revenue from many sources, including the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center invites you to visit its new website, www.danforthcenter.org; featuring interactive information on the Center's research, scientists, news and public education outreach. RSS feeds and the brand new "Roots & Shoots" blog allow visitors to keep up to date with Center's current operations and areas of research. Follow us on Twitter @DanforthCenter.

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