Divergence Inc., a world leader in the application of genomics to agriculture and infectious disease, discovers and develops proprietary products for the safe and effective control of parasitic diseases. Plant parasitic nematodes are the largest unsolved pest problem in agricultural chemistry. Despite billions of dollars in annual crop damage, current means of control are limited and environmentally damaging. Parasitic nematodes also pose major health risks to humans and animals, and resistance to current drugs is increasingly a problem in livestock infections. Breakthroughs at Divergence are demonstrating that comparative and functional genomics can revolutionize the future of parasite control in plants, animals, and humans.

Since initiating operations in 1999, Divergence has successfully:

• developed a cutting-edge discovery platform in comparative genomics and RNAi-based functional genomics leading to the validation of parasite-specific molecular targets and the rapid discovery of multiple novel nematicidal chemistries.
  
• demonstrated efficacy in greenhouse trials of multiple classes of nematicidal chemistry acting by novel modes of action in plant parasites.
  
• identified multiple approaches to nematode resistant, transgenic plants which are being developed for soybeans and other crops.
  
• raised over $9 million from investors and received over $5 million in grants and contracts from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Corn Growers Association.
  
• created a significant intellectual property portfolio, including pending and issued patents submissions and trade-secrets, around our discovery platform, molecular targets, chemistries, and transgenic methods for parasite control.
  
• established several important research and commercial relationships, including a relationship with Monsanto to develop nematode-resistant soybeans and a relationship with a company to develop a potentially significant animal health product

View a slideshow introduction to Divergence and its technology.