KeyGene is a molecular genetics R&D company with a primary focus on 6F crop improvement (Food, Feed, Fiber, Fuel, Flowers and Fun crops). KeyGene delivers sustainable molecular genetic responses to the world’s need for stability in the yield, quality and health of crops. KeyGene assists breeding companies by providing cutting edge breeding technology and trait improvement platforms for their own crop development. KeyGene has its headquarters in Wageningen, the Netherlands, a subsidiary in Rockville, Maryland, USA and a Joint Lab at the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences in Shanghai, China.

With more than 130 employees KeyGene performs strategic and applied research in a dynamic work environment with state of the art facilities and equipment.

KeyGene has strategic partnerships with companies that have breeding activities in the 6F crops. The long term relationships that KeyGene seeks with its partners are based on its foundation in 1989, when KeyGene was founded by five Dutch seed companies. Their goal was and is to create synergy and higher efficiency in their molecular genetic research programs and thus improve their breeding effort. At the moment KeyGene has four strategic partners in vegetables: Enza Zaden, Rijk Zwaan, Vilmorin & Cie and Takii & Co., Ltd. and several partnerships in field crops and flowers.
KeyGene: technology platforms

KeyGene uses three powerful, proprietary technology platforms: Lead Discovery & Validation, Molecular Mutagenesis and Accelerated Molecular breeding. KeyGene uses these platforms to develop improved crop traits in its trait programs, focused on crop resistance to sucking insects and fungi, efficient use of water, herbicide tolerance and reproduction traits. Through partnerships with global industry leaders, KeyGene develops novel traits in the 6F crops through contract research, partnerships and co-development programs. For details on the revolutionary patented technologies, technology platforms and collaboration opportunities, visit www.keygene.com.

KeyGene’s Crop Genome Center focuses on the development of high quality genome assemblies of 6F crops. KeyGene’s up to date R&D facilities with next generation sequencing platforms (Roche GS-FLX Titanium system (454 technology) and the Illumina Genome Analyzer II (Solexa technology), an extensive computational infrastructure and long experience with plant genome research form the solid basis of the Crop Genome Center.
KeyGene’s Crop Phenome Center

It’s KeyGene’s passion to explore and exploit genetic variation in vegetables and other 6F crops. KeyGene has invested therefore strongly in next generation High throughput Phenotyping technology to accelerate new applications for Breeding. Using these advanced digital phenotyping technologies it is possible to accelerate linking of complex traits to the genetic variation. This results in finding the gene of interest and the location of such a gene.