Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
October 7, 2013

The Center for Agricultural and Environmental Biosolutions (CAEB) at RTI International has been acquired by FMC Corporation, a diversified specialty chemical company helping to grow the world’s food.

CAEB is a world leading research effort with a comprehensive discovery platform focused on endophytic microbes and their plant-host interactions. CAEB is generating data for third and fourth generation agricultural biosolutions and has generated a diverse asset collection core to any modern agricultural R&D platform that seeks to optimize its pathway to commercialization.

“We are excited to have found a like-minded company to commercialize CAEB’s science to deliver next generation agricultural biosolutions,” said RTI International President Wayne Holden. “Of the many companies with which we interacted, FMC showed itself to be most closely aligned with our vision for the use of the technology and will provide the best opportunity to take CAEB’s technology further to improve the human condition.”

“We are impressed with CAEB’s extensive intellectual property, as well as its proven capabilities of scouting and screening for new technologies with the potential to bring value to growers around the world,” said Marc Hullebroeck, vice president and business director for FMC Agricultural Solutions in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Hullebroeck also oversees FMC Agricultural Solutions’ research and development organization.

CAEB was established in 2011 to unlock the mysteries of the plant-microbe interaction and apply that knowledge to a wide range of applications. The center conducts advanced systems-level agricultural research that enhances understanding of critical plant-microbe interactions, community interactions, and physiological and metabolomic processes to enable a wide range of commercial applications.

“Over the years, FMC has distinguished itself as a company uniquely in tune with the needs of growers,” said Daniel van der Lelie, Ph.D., FMC Agricultural Solutions’ director of biological research and founder of CAEB. “Everyone at CAEB is passionate about developing greener solutions that protect crops, promote growth, and increase farm yields. We are pleased to join FMC and work with our new colleagues to develop and market new solutions that are both effective and sustainable.”

Published: October 8, 2013