St. Louis, Missouri (January 22, 2004) - The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center has received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a joint research project with Divergence Inc., U.S. Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) said Thursday.

The project is to find new, safe and effective controls of parasitic nematodes, roundworms that cause an estimated $77 billion of damage to crops worldwide each year. The research will use the expertise of Christopher Taylor of the Danforth Center and the application of genomics in agriculture from Divergence Inc.

In addition, the EPA will provide $500,000 to the Danforth Center to develop environmental phytoremediation technologies and to develop environmentally safe novel materials and compounds in plants.

"Throughout Missouri, innovative plant and life science research initiatives like this one are taking shape and generating new entrepreneurial opportunities," said Bond, in a statement. "Supporting collaborative research between the Danforth Center and Divergence is important in our effort to create new jobs in the St. Louis life sciences industry."

RELEASE: ©2004 St. Louis Business Journal