DuPont and Arzeda Corp. have announced a technology collaboration to develop new traits to increase agricultural productivity.

Under the agreement, DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred will use novel enzymes designed by Arzeda to develop next generation seed traits in crops of worldwide agricultural importance such as corn, soy, rice, cotton and canola.

Arzeda will use its proprietary computational protein design technology to custom-design novel enzymes that catalyze specific biological reactions that are of commercial importance to Pioneer. Pioneer will use its expertise in crop molecular biology and biotechnology, including its proprietary trait enhancing tool-gene shuffling, to incorporate these traits into seed products to meet the global demand for agricultural products.

The agreement provides Pioneer with exclusive rights to traits resulting from the collaboration.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Arzeda's groundbreaking technology integrates the power of chemical catalysis, the high selectivity of biological macromolecules, and the speed of computational design to rapidly design and screen novel enzymes that don't exist in nature and are currently inaccessible using traditional enzyme engineering approaches.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is a world leading source of customised solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company operating in more than 70 countries. DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.