search articles:     from the issue of August 18, 2005         UNL, iDiverse to develop stress resistant crops UNL and iDiverse, a biotechnology company based in San Diego, have announced signing of an exclusive license agreement to commercialize UNL's transgenic plant technology which provides plants with resistance to a broad spectrum of diseases and environmental stresses, including drought. UNL and iDiverse also signed a research agreement to expand the work of Martin Dickman, Charles Bessey professor of plant pathology at UNL, whose research is the basis for the licensed plant technology. "I am pleased and excited about the opportunity and prospects of taking our research and applying it to field-based agriculture," said Dickman, who also is a consultant to iDiverse. "I am glad to be working with iDiverse. Their support of my work will help expand our knowledge of the mechanism of the genes I discovered and to explore the full extent of disease and environmental stress protection these genes provide to plants." Prem Paul, UNL vice chancellor for research, said the new technology could benefit Nebraska and the world. "The plant technology that we are developing here can make a real contribution to meeting the challenges agriculture faces in feeding an exploding world population with limited resources of land and water," Paul said. Officials from iDiverse are seeking a location to establish laboratory operations for the project. UNL is a potential host for the laboratory. Dipanjan Nag, director of operations for the UNL Office of Technology Development, said Nebraska is a potential site. "We are very impressed with the broad potential for this technology as demonstrated by the results Dr. Dickman and his colleagues have generated in the lab, the greenhouse and especially in preliminary field trials" said John Burr, president and chief executive officer of iDiverse. "We look forward to a long and productive relationship with Dr. Dickman and with UNL and are eager to aggressively explore the commercial opportunities for this unique technology." GO TO: ISSUE OF AUGUST 18 NEWS HEADLINES FOR AUGUST 18 Students roll back to campus CBA chair selected for beltway post UNL takes lead in Antarctica drilling project Dissertation travels down roadways of commuting wives Durham gift to forge school of architectural engineering and construction in Omaha External research dollars hit record level Food Processing Center Hosts Congressmen FROM THE ARCHIVES New tool monitors drought impact nationwide Technical ag college to offer new degree Tommy Lee Goes to College premiers UNL, iDiverse to develop stress resistant crops UNL lands $2 million grant for international physics experiment UNL, World-Herald program shares skills, ideas 732176S34825X