Singapore: Medicago is collaborating with Mitsubishi Chemical to evaluate the latter's closed cultivation Plant Factory System to produce Nicotiana Benthamiana plants for protein production using Medicago's technologies.

"Our goal is to develop a highly effective, closed plant production system with our partner, Mitsubishi," said Mr Andy Sheldon, president and CEO, Medicago. "This system would be designed to enhance our capacity and further decrease operating costs, whilst facilitating new applications of Medicago's technology. We are pleased to build upon our existing strategic relationship with Mitsubishi and look forward to continuing to strengthen the synergies between our two companies."

"We are pleased to intensify our collaboration with Medicago to further combine our strengths," said Dr Seiichi Kiso, executive officer and head, Healthcare Solutions Office of Mitsubishi Chemicals. "Medicago and Mitsubishi have both developed very promising technologies and we see a significant opportunity from joining the two technologies into a next generation plant protein production platform," Dr Kiso added.

Mitsubishi Chemicals Plant Factory System is currently used for industrial scale vegetable production in Japan and other countries. Using solar panels and LED lighting, it is meant to achieve efficient, clean, safe and environmentally friendly plant production, which is not dependant on weather conditions. These features can provide tightly controlled conditions and reproducibility that are key elements to ensure reliable biopharmaceutical production in different geographies and climates.