Monsanto Company and Divergence, announced they have completed the
most comprehensive sequence of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) genome to
date, making it the first available draft of this organism's genome. The
announcement by the companies represents a major advancement in the
available research data on this crop pest.
Certain nematode species severely limit crop yields around the world,
including in crops such as soybeans, corn, cotton and vegetables. SCN
attacks roots of soybeans during the growing season and today represents the
most economically significant pest for U.S. soybean production. It is
estimated that SCN annually causes approximately $1 billion of yield loss to
the U.S. soybean crop.

"Sequencing the SCN genome is a tremendous step forward in our process
of developing a product to help farmers protect their soybean crops against
a devastating pest," said Steve Padgette, Monsanto vice president of
biotechnology. "As global demand for soy protein increases, it is critical
that companies evaluate and invest in novel approaches to combat this
yield-robbing pest so farmers can get more yield out of every acre."

The companies announced that the genome sequence will be made
available to the public via the National Center for Biotechnology
Information (NCBI) website. Interested parties can access this information
at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.

NCBI creates public databases that house information like genome
sequences to facilitate better understanding of molecular processes. The
companies believe the sharing of this data, subject to Monsanto and
Divergence intellectual property rights, will be an important step forward
in research on this parasite.

"We anticipate that sharing this sequence on the NCBI database will
spur additional innovation in the scientific community to develop tools to
help farmers manage this pest on their farm," said Padgette.

"The SCN genome is the first available for any plant parasitic
nematode," said James McCarter, President and Chief Scientific Officer of
Divergence. "This draft assembly, based on 3-fold sequence coverage of the
genome, provides key insights into the molecular mechanisms that enable SCN
to invade and drain nutrients from soybean roots."

Monsanto and Divergence entered into a collaborative relationship in
2004 to discover novel approaches for controlling SCN, and extended the
relationship in 2007. Monsanto scientists worked together with Divergence to
sequence the SCN genome as part of this collaboration.

About Monsanto
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based
solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food
quality. For more information, please visit: www.monsanto.com.

About Divergence
Divergence is dedicated to the discovery of effective and ecologically
sound strategies for the control of parasites and other pests. The company's
initial focus is on parasitic nematodes, one of the world's major pest
groups. Nematodes are roundworms that cause billions of dollars in damage
annually to numerous crops, including soybeans, cotton, strawberries, and
bananas. Nematodes also cause widespread disease in animals, including
infections such as heartworm in dogs and cats and intestinal worms in
livestock. Nematode-induced human diseases include elephantiasis and African
river blindness. See: www.divergence.com.