NEW YORK — Ginkgo Bioworks has formed a partnership with Syngenta Seeds focused on the discovery of new traits for seed development, the companies said on Monday.
Under the terms of the deal, Ginkgo and Syngenta will screen a targeted genetic library for novel traits. The alliance will combine Ginkgo's protein engineering capabilities and proprietary ultra-high-throughput screening technologies with Syngenta's expertise in plant trait design and development, the firms said.
Financial and other terms were not disclosed.
"We are excited to leverage our proprietary ultra-high-throughput single-cell encapsulation and screening platform to support Syngenta's development efforts to bring the next generation of innovative products to farmers," Magalie Guilhabert, VP and head of ag biologicals at Ginkgo, said in a statement.
Ginkgo offers services for developing and optimizing the manufacture of chemical products using synthetic biology. About a year ago, the Boston-based company acquired an agricultural biologicals site from Bayer as part of an arrangement between the companies to research microbe-based nitrogen fixation.