Monday, March 14, 2011

SG Biofuels Claims Advance

San Diego-based SG Biofuels, the firm using biotechnology and other techniques to develop hybrid seeds of Jatropha for the biofuels industry, claimed today that it has reached a "significant milestone" in its efforts. The firm, which is backed by Life Technologies and others, said it is applying more than 1.6 million genetic markers (SNPs) to produce elite, high performance cultivars of Jatropha. Jatropha is an oil rich plant from Central America, which is being targeted as a good source of biofuels feedstock. The firm said the milestone will accelerate identification and development of specific genetic traits in Jatropha.