- DuPont (DD +0.9%) agrees to acquire a microbiome discovery company Taxon Biosciences in a move it hopes will give it an edge in an emerging agricultural market for biological crop products.
- DuPont does not say how much it is paying but says the California-based company brings a "broad intellectual property estate" that will contribute to new DuPont seed treatments, and foliar and soil applications for row crops, fruits and vegetables.
- DuPont executive VP Jim Borel tells Reuters he expects new products in the company's biologicals pipeline to start hitting the market within about five years, adding that the biologicals market is growing rapidly "and it's an area where science can make a real difference."