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Mendel also partners with [[Selecta Klemm]] in a joint venture, [[Ornamental Biosciences]], Inc., "for the commercialization of ornamental crop varieties differentiated in the marketplace for improved growth and survival under a range of stresses"; [[===SweTree Technologies]] "for the development of improved varieties of plantation forest tree species"; and [[ArborGen]] "to improve stress tolerance in selected tree species."<ref name="MendelPartners"/> Mendel began a collaboration with [[MMR Genetics]]/[[Richardson Seeds]] in 2008 "to develop sorghum varieties differentiated for the bioenergy industry. Our focus is to maximize cellulosic biomass rather than starch or protein, which should provide superior varieties for bioenergy production. MMR Genetics is a leading sorghum breeding company, established in the mid 1990’s, associated with Richardson Seeds, one of the largest sorghum seed producers in the United States."<ref name="2008AnnualReport"/>=
====Collaboration Mendel collaborates with [[SweTree Technologies to ]] "exploit for the valuedevelopment of improved varieties of plantation forest tree species." of <ref name="genes to be used within the $750 billion forestry fieldMendelPartners"====/>
SW: add missing ref
According to the company, its research partnership with [[Bayer CropScience]] "is a continuation of previous joint activities which focused on the elucidation of stress response mode of actions of Bayer agrochemicals like Imidacloprid and Trifloxystrobin. The program aims to discover and develop further chemical products that regulate plant stress tolerance, leveraging Mendel's knowledge of plant transcription factor pathways with the expertise of Bayer CropScience as a leader in agricultural chemistry."<ref name="MendelPartners"/>
===OthersArborGen=== Mendel partners with [[ArborGen]] "to improve stress tolerance in selected tree species."<ref name="MendelPartners"/> '''ArborGen''' is a joint collaboration between [[International Paper]], [[MeadWestVaco]] Corp. and New Zealand's [[Rubicon]] Ltd. that, in August 2009, was "seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sell the first genetically engineered forest trees outside China." ====Genetically Engineered Tree Controversy==== According to ''Bloomberg'', through this venture, [[International Paper]] "plans to remake commercial forests in the same way [[Monsanto]] Co. revolutionized farms with genetically modified crops." Rubicon investor David Knott is quoted as saying, "This could take off faster than Monsanto.” "ArborGen’s eucalyptus would become the first engineered forest tree sold in the U.S., where disease-resistant plum and papaya trees already are permitted, according to a USDA database. China has planted about 1.4 million biotech black poplars since commercialization in 2002."<ref name="Bloomberg">Jack Kaskey, [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aEHNB_XJRWGU International Paper Treads Monsanto’s Path to ‘Frankenforests’], ''Bloomberg'', August 28, 2009</ref> "Engineered eucalyptus trees could be an ecological disaster, bringing increased fire risk and extraordinary water consumption to a new environment," according to [[Neil J. Carman]] of the [[Sierra Club]]. "Easier-to-pulp trees will be weak, and hurricanes will spread their pollen and contaminate native forests, he said."<ref name="Bloomberg"/> “These are Frankenforests,” Carman said. “You are tampering with Mother Nature in a big way by putting genetically engineered trees out there.”<ref name="Bloomberg"/>
In October 2004, Mendel and [[SweTree Technologies]] announced a joint venture to "exploit the value of certain transcription factor (TF) genes within the $750 billion forestry field, among them the Hercules gene. The collaboration includes a research effort to validate certain Mendel lead TF genes for the forestry field as well as a commercial effort to advance identified products.
In March 2007, the two companies announced plans to extend the collaboration to include "a research effort to validate Mendel TF genes for the forestry field as well as a commercial effort to advance identified products." "We are very happy with the results from our first collaboration with SweTree which identified significant, beneficial traits in Poplar trees for the tested genes from Mendel," CEO [[Neal Gutterson]] said. "The forest industry has already shown interest in certain genes from the project," according to [[Mats Johnson]], CEO of SweTree Technologies AB.<ref>Mendel Biotechnology and SweTree Technologies, [http://www.mendelbio.com/newsevents/index.php#s Mendel Biotechnology and SweTree Technologies extend their collaboration to jointly exploit the value of more than 100 genes in forestry], joint press release, March 14, 2007, accessed November 9, 2011</ref>
===MMR Genetics/Richardson Seeds===
Mendel began a collaboration with [[MMR Genetics]]/[[Richardson Seeds]] in 2008 "to develop sorghum varieties differentiated for the bioenergy industry. Our focus is to maximize cellulosic biomass rather than starch or protein, which should provide superior varieties for bioenergy production. MMR Genetics is a leading sorghum breeding company, established in the mid 1990’s, associated with Richardson Seeds, one of the largest sorghum seed producers in the United States."<ref name="2008AnnualReport"/>
===Others===
Mendel also partners with [[Selecta Klemm]] in a joint venture and [[Ornamental Biosciences]], Inc., "for the commercialization of ornamental crop varieties differentiated in the marketplace for improved growth and survival under a range of stresses".<ref name="MendelPartners"/>
==Patents==
