New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- In a move signalling increased momentum in agricultural biotechnology, U.S.-listed Origin Agritech Ltd. (NASDAQ: SEED) announced on Monday that it has entered into a patent licence agreement with China's Shandong Shunfeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for Shunfeng's proprietary gene-editing tool, known as Cas-SF01.

Under the agreement, Origin Agritech obtains long-term access to IP-protected gene-editing technology to support its research and development (R&D) in trait gene editing, with a particular focus on accelerating adoption of advanced gene-editing in corn breeding. Although financial terms were not disclosed, the partnership reflects the growing pressure on seed and ag-tech firms to bring next-generation breeding ...