News release issued March 27, 1998, effective immediately.
For media inquiries, contact Caroline Booth Lara, Communications Specialist, (580) 224-6379.
  email: cblara@noble.org

Foundation, Agribiotech Reach Biotechnology Agreement

ARDMORE, OK. -- Lignin. It's all around us.

We walk on it. We eat it. And we burn it to keep warm. It is the second most abundant polymer on earth.

Lignin is a compound found in all plants that enables the trunks, branches and stems to remain rigid and/or upright. Different plant species, and different parts of a single plant, contain differing amounts of lignin.

While lignin is essential for the growth and survival of plants, too much lignin - particularly in a forage crop - can reduce their digestibility in livestock.

Researchers at The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Oklahoma, have been working for almost eight years on how lignin is made in plants. Much of this research has focused on ways to reduce lignin content in alfalfa, an important forage crop not only in Texas and Oklahoma, but throughout much of the world. This research conducted by the Foundation's Plant Biology scientists has led to a biotechnology contract between the Foundation and AgriBioTech, a Las Vegas, Nevada-based company specializing in forage and cool season turfgrass seed.

As specified in the agreement, The Noble Foundation will conduct scientific research on ways to improve alfalfa digestibility. The objective of the research is to make genetically transformed plants with a lower lignin content. This, in turn, could lead to significant added value for farmers and ranchers in terms of increased meat and milk production.

"Lignin prevents the cellulose in the plant cell walls from being digested," explained Dr. Richard Dixon, Director of the Foundation's Plant Biology Division. "It masks the cellulose, which is a major source of energy for cattle. By reducing or altering the composition of the lignin we should be able to make contents of forage crops more digestible."

"We couldn't be more pleased to have The Noble Foundation conduct this scientific research," said Dr. Johnny Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AgriBioTech. "It is an important agreement for us, but more important for our farmer and alfalfa grower customers."

The scientific research tied to the contractual agreement will be carried out at Noble Foundation labs under the direction of Dr. Dixon.

"I view the consummation of this Agreement as significant for two reasons," said Michael A. Cawley, Noble Foundation President. "First, it serves as a confirmation of the high quality of work being conducted by our Plant Biology Division, and, secondly, AgriBioTech's work will provide the mechanism whereby the farmer and rancher will enjoy the benefits of our research."

Once developed, the genetically engineered alfalfa lines produced by the Foundation will be owned by AgriBioTech. W-L Research, a subsidiary of AgriBioTech, will further develop these lines through a specialized breeding program.

Why is The Noble Foundation involved in this kind of research? The answer lies in the original mission of the Foundation as well as the specific goals of the Plant Biology Division.

"Our original mission, articulated by Lloyd Noble in 1945, was to work for the improvement of mankind by helping farmers and ranchers make wiser use of the land," explained Joe Lobell, Communications Manager of the Foundation. "Our agricultural specialists have been carrying out that mission for more than 50 years through education and consultation. In 1988, the Plant Biology Division was organized to carry that mission several steps further. The research carried out by our scientists is designed to provide farmers and ranchers with the tools they need to increase production, remain competitive in the world marketplace, and improve their profitability."

"Our mission in the Plant Biology Division centers on fundamental research and applied biotechnology, most of which is carried out in the laboratory," Dixon explained. "This kind of contractual interaction with private industry will ensure that the fundamental research done in our labs will find real-world applications and ultimately reach the farmers and ranchers."

The Foundation's Plant Biology Division now includes seven full-time staff scientists and approximately 30 other Ph.D.-level researchers involved in a variety of projects, including studies of interactions between plants and microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi), nutrient uptake, and methods of genetically engineering the chemical composition of plants.

Lignin-related articles authored by Foundation researchers have appeared in national and international scientific publications, including Transgenic Research, Plant Physiology, Plant Molecular Biology, and the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Approximately 200 full-time employees work in the Foundation's Plant Biology, Agricultural, and Administrative divisions located in Ardmore.

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Photos available:

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Caption: Microscopic photograph of a plant stem. Concentrations of lignin are indicated by the red (dark) shading. Genetically engineered plants and normal plants exhibit different concentrations and distribution patterns of lignin.

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Caption: Postdoctoral researcher Kentaro Inoue examines genetically transformed alfalfa plants in one of the Foundation's greenhouses designed to house engineered plants.

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Caption: Alfalfa is regarded as the leading livestock forage worldwide.

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, check out the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release