Leaf Energy has interest in the inclusion of valuable agronomic traits (such as virus resistance) in commercial crops.
Such an example is Banana Bunchy Top Virus.
Bananas are one of the world's most important crops, yet Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) threatens one-quarter of the world's banana growing areas (Dale, 1987). As the name suggests, the virus causes bunching at the crown of the plant, resulting in stunted fruit.
We have patented the genetic composition of the virus which can be used to diagnose, treat and prevent infection.
It is envisaged that the application of such technology will render many crops immune to many important diseases, providing significant economic savings to the global farming industry.
Reference:
Dale JL (1987) Banana bunchy top, an economically important tropical plant virus. Advances in Virus Research 33: 301–325