Yield10 Bioscience Begins 2020 Field Test Program to Evaluate Novel Yield Traits in Camelina and Canola

WOBURN, Mass., June 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN), an agricultural bioscience company, today announced it has begun its 2020 Field Test Program based on the recent completion of planting at all sites contracted for the trials in the United States and Canada. Yield10’s 2020 Field Test Program is designed to evaluate several novel traits in Camelina and canola and the Company expects to harvest the plants and begin reporting data from the field tests in the fourth quarter of 2020.

“We are pleased to report that our field trial contractors completed planting at all of the sites planned for our 2020 Field Test Program,” said Dr. Kristi Snell, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of Yield10 Bioscience. “Our team will continue to work closely with our field trial contractors as well as local consultants to monitor our plant lines as the field tests progress through the growing season. Our field tests are designed to generate agronomic, yield and other data supporting the ongoing development of our traits in Camelina, canola and other commercial crops.”

A summary of the 2020 Field Test Program:

• Camelina/C3004: C3004 is a trait designed to increase seed yield that has shown promise in previous greenhouse and growth chamber experiments.

• Camelina/CRISPR E3902: E3902 is a CRISPR genome-edited trait designed to boost oil content. This line demonstrated positive results in 2019 field tests.

• Camelina/CRISPR C3007: C3007 is a CRISPR genome-edited trait designed to boost oil content. This is the first season of field testing the trait.

• Camelina/C3014 and C3015: Yield10 has designed a novel trait and reprogrammed Camelina to produce PHA biomaterial as a third seed product. This is the first season of field tests for the trait.

• Canola/C3004: C3004 is a trait designed to increase seed yield. This is the first season of field testing the trait in canola.

• Canola/C3003: Yield10 will grow 14 new canola/C3003 commercial quality lines for seed bulk up in the field in 2020 that the Company plans to field test in 2021. C3003 is a seed yield trait.

In the field tests of its novel traits in Camelina and canola, Yield10 is monitoring key agronomic and growth parameters of the plants throughout the growth period. Yield10 also plans to evaluate seed yield, oil content, PHA content and/or other parameters of the traits as appropriate after seed harvest. The field tests are designed to generate data on the performance of the novel traits under field conditions and to advance the development of the traits toward commercialization. The program will also generate field grown seed for subsequent field studies.

About Yield10 Bioscience

Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. is an agricultural bioscience company developing crop innovations for sustainable global food security. The Company uses its “Trait Factory” including the “GRAIN” big data mining trait gene discovery tool as well as the Camelina oilseed “Fast Field Testing” system to develop high value seed traits for the agriculture and food industries. As a path toward commercialization of novel traits, Yield10 is pursuing a partnering approach with major agricultural companies to drive new traits into development for canola, soybean, corn, and other commercial crops. The Company is also developing improved Camelina varieties as a platform crop for the production and commercialization of nutritional oils, proteins, and PHA biomaterials. The Company’s expertise in oilseed crops also extends into canola, where it is currently field-testing novel yield traits to generate data to drive additional licensing opportunities. Yield10 is headquartered in Woburn, MA and has an Oilseeds Center of Excellence in Saskatoon, Canada.

For more information about the company, please visit , or follow the Company on , and .

(YTEN-G)

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release which are not strictly historical, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s intentions with regard to plans to conduct field tests with Camelina and canola in 2020, the results and outcome of, and information gathered from, those tests, the ability to use the results of the tests in future studies or licensing activities, whether the company’s traits will increase seed yield or boost oil content, and expectations with regard to the timing of harvesting the plants and reporting results of the field tests, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including the weather conditions in regions where field tests are being conducted, which could be unfavorable and lead to challenges in completing the tests, and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Yield10 Bioscience's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Yield10 assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the matters described herein.

Contacts: 

Yield10 Bioscience:

Lynne H. Brum, (617) 682-4693,

Investor Relations:

Bret Shapiro, (561) 479-8566,

Managing Director, CORE IR

Media Inquiries:

Eric Fischgrund,

FischTank PR