DNA Plant Technology

DNA Plant Technology

Company type	Public
Industry	Biotechnology, Agriculture
Founded	1981 in Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey, United States
Founder	Dr. William R. Sharp, Dr. David A. Evans
Defunct	2002
Fate	Merged with Empresas La Moderna through subsidiary Bionova; activities discontinued
Headquarters	Oakland , United States
Area served	Global
Products	Vine sweet mini peppers, Fish tomato, Y1 tobacco
Owner	Bionova Holding Corporation (from merger in 1996)
Parent	Bionova Holding Corporation (after 1996 merger)

DNA Plant Technology was among the first companies to apply transgenic biotechnology solutions to agricultural problems. Established in 1981 in Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey, the firm later relocated to California in 1994. Its range of products featured innovations such as vine sweet mini peppers, the Fish tomato, and Y1 tobacco. In 1996, DNA Plant Technology merged with the Mexican conglomerate Empresas La Moderna through its subsidiary Bionova. By 2002, Bionova had discontinued DNA Plant Technology's activities.

History

Founded in 1981 by Dr. William R. Sharp and Dr. David A. Evans, DNA Plant Technology aimed to create improved plant-derived products for both industrial and consumer sectors by employing advanced plant breeding, tissue culture, and molecular biology techniques. The company went public in 1986 (NASDAQ: DNAP) and formed partnerships with leading corporations such as American Home Foods, Campbell Soup, Firmenich, General Foods, Hershey Foods, Brown and Williamson Tobacco, and United Fruit.

By 1992, the company had made substantial investments in genetic engineering and obtained a patent for the fish antifreeze gene utilized in the Fish tomato.

In 1993, DNAP purchased the Freshworld premium fruit and vegetable brand from Du Pont for more than $30 million through a combination of cash, shares, and intellectual property rights.

The headquarters were moved to Oakland, California in 1994.

In response to financial difficulties in 1996, DNA Plant Technology merged with Empresas La Moderna, S.A. de C.V. (NYSE/ADR: ELM) through ELM’s subsidiary Bionova, which also owned the seed company Seminis. Following this merger, DNA Plant Technology became a fully owned subsidiary of DNAP Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: DNAPD), which retained a 30% ownership interest. Empresas La Moderna, controlled by Alfonso Romo Garza and based in Monterrey, Mexico, operated extensively in cigarette manufacturing (holding 53% of Mexico’s market), vegetable seeds, and packaging industries.

In 1999, DNAP Holding Corporation rebranded itself as Bionova Holding Corporation and changed its NASDAQ symbol to BNVA.

Bionova terminated DNA Plant Technology’s research and development operations in 2002.

Fish tomato

In 1991, DNA Plant Technology obtained USDA approval to perform field trials on their transgenic fish tomato—a tomato modified with an antifreeze gene from arctic flounder combined with staphylococcal Protein A. Designed to enhance frost resistance, this product sparked controversy; it was tested under greenhouse conditions but never reached commercial production.

In 1995, the company introduced a second-generation genetically engineered tomato to its shareholders. That same year, DNA Plant Technology sold its fully owned subsidiary Frost Technology Corporation to Simplot.

Tobacco

Collaborating with cigarette manufacturer Brown & Williamson, DNA Plant Technology created a genetically modified tobacco variety featuring elevated nicotine levels based on Brown & Williamson’s high-nicotine Y-1 strain. Both firms faced legal action for exporting seeds to Brazil in breach of Tobacco Seed Export regulations.

Popcorn

During the mid-1980s, DNA Plant Technology investigated somaclonal variation in maize with the goal of producing popcorn that naturally tasted buttery, eliminating the need for added butter.

Gene silencing breakthrough

At DNA Plant Technology, researchers Richard A. Jorgensen and Carolyn Napoli made significant advances in understanding post transcriptional gene silencing, which led to multiple U.S. patents related to gene regulation and agricultural crop engineering. Jorgensen's studies on modulating transgene activity in plants, including modifications to flower pigmentation in ornamentals, demonstrated that introducing an additional gene copy could suppress gene expression. This finding was pivotal in uncovering the phenomenon of gene silencing.

Legal issues

In the 1990s, the FDA accused DNA Plant Technology of unlawfully exporting Y1 tobacco seeds from the United States, breaching the Tobacco Seed Export statute (which was repealed in 1991). The U.S. Justice Department filed charges against the company for one misdemeanor count of conspiracy. DNA Plant Technology entered a guilty plea in 1998 and assisted with inquiries involving Brown & Williamson. Nevertheless, in 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the FDA did not have jurisdiction to regulate tobacco as a pharmaceutical product.