Ecogen Inc. has entered into a three-year research anddevelopment agreement with the Paris-based Institut Pasteurto develop microorganism-based biopesticides.

Also involved in the project is insecticide supplier Roussel-Uclaf, the industrial sponsor of the project, and the InstitutNationale de Recherche Agronomique, both of Paris.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ecogen and Roussel willshare rights to the biopesticide technology and productsdeveloped during the partnership. According to John Davies,chief executive and chairman of Ecogen of Langhorne, Pa., thecompany has no financial obligation to the Institut Pasteur, andany funding for the project will come from Roussel-Uclaf.

Ecogen and Roussel will have equal representation on ascientific committee that will be established to coordinate theresearch.

Ecogen is establishing a major presence in Europe, with itsprevious Roussel agreement and a $9.5 million agreementsigned last month with Italy's 3A.

"The agreement gives us a pool of information and technologythat we didn't have access to before," Davies said.

-- Michelle Slade Associate Editor

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