Divergence science focuses on rapid and cost effective movement of projects from concept to advanced research and development. Divergence has developed and implemented multiple proprietary assays to quickly determine the pest-control efficacy of candidate small molecules and resistance genes.

Nematicides:
Potential nematicidal compounds enter Divergence's propietary Quicksand™ assay which provides results comparable to greenhouse assays in a third the time, a third the labor, and a tenth the quantity of compound. Quicksand™ hits are subjected to a battery of progressively challenging greenhouse tests and eventually field trials to test intrinsic nematicidal potency and other beneficial attributes. Divergence also routinely tests compounds for fungicidal, insecticidal, and herbicidal activity in a variety of laboratory and greenhouse screens.

Nematode Resistance:
Potential resistance genes enter a proprietary plant tissue culture assay at Divergence that provides data on resistance to multiple nematode species in a fraction of the time and cost of a whole plant greenhouse assay. Active resistance genes are optimized, retested, and the most promising are moved into whole plant transformation for greenhouse assays and field trials.

Nematology Expertise:
Divergence has substantial in-house expertise with plant-parasitic nematodes. The Company employs five academically trained nematologists including Drs. McCarter, Shortt, Hresko, and Gao. Including job experience at Divergence, our team of 23 scientists and research associates has over 140 years of collective experience in nematology. Divergence maintains over a dozen nematode species in its laboratories and greenhouses including the major crop parasites root knot, cyst, lesion, and sting nematode.

Contract Research:
In addition to Divergence's sizeable in house capabilities in areas ranging from genomics, informatics, and molecular biology to biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and plant pathology, we leverage our resources through a network of relationships with contract research organizations (CROs) and academic laboratories. Divergence has over 20 contracts and collaborations in areas including synthetic chemistry, toxicology, and animal health. Relationships with nematologists allowed Divergence to carry out nematicidal field trials in seven states in 2008. Divergence also has licenses, both exclusive and non-exclusive, to other enabling technologies.