IRVINE, Calif., April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Inscent, Inc. has received a Small Business Innovative Research grant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue the testing and development of novel honeybee repellents using the proprietary Attenu high throughput assay system. The pioneering research performed by Inscent, Inc. has resulted in highly efficient processes that allow the rapid development of revolutionary insect control products suited for the modern age. Inscent's groundbreaking paradigm shift away from traditional insecticides and toward products based on behavior alteration of targeted species has been supported extensively by federal research grants and private industry funds. NSF reviewers described the honeybee repellent project as "fascinating" and "highly desirable," and new federal funding commences in July 2008.
Inscent, Inc. is designing environmentally responsible insect control products that will eclipse the current generation of insecticides. The company's latest efforts focus on the honeybee, Apis mellifera, an economically and agriculturally crucial insect species, for the development of a new array of insect control products based on behavior alteration. Inscent's honeybee repellent project was originally funded by the Citrus Research Board (CRB; http://www.citrusresearch.org), a coalition of California growers at the global forefront of citrus industry-funded scientific research.
The honeybee, Apis mellifera, is critical to US agriculture, and a Cornell University study estimated the direct value of honeybee pollination in this country exceeds $14 billion annually. Although the initial use of the repellent will be to prevent seediness in mandarins, it will also provide a solution for keeping bees out of fields that have been treated with insecticides. Honeybees are threatened by insecticide use and recent incidents of colony collapse have caused great concern among the farming and apiculture industries. These factors have combined to generate an urgent need for effective products that are safe to humans and insects alike.
Inscent, Inc. has developed a number of novel platform technologies to exploit the wide variety, selectivity, and high sensitivity of insect chemosensory systems. This proprietary collection of chemosensory proteins is being used to develop a series of non-toxic, highly efficient insect pest control products. Inscent's new technologies are applicable to a wide array of insect pest species that impact the agricultural, domestic, and public health sectors. Inscent's platform technologies utilize the latest developments in molecular genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics to design advanced, environmentally responsible insect pest control solutions and effective, sensitive biosensors. Further information on Inscent is available on the web at http://www.inscent.com.
The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. NSF also encourages scientific innovation and discovery in the commercial sector, primarily through the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. Further information on NSF is available on the web at http://www.nsf.gov.
Inscent, Inc. welcomes inquiries from qualified investors and potential strategic allies.
SOURCE Inscent, Inc.
