May 14, 2002 -- Monsanto intends to release approximately 200 simple sequence repeat (SSR) genetic markers to accelerate the development of a soybean with improved oils, better yields and more protein.

Scientists often use genetic markers as a flag to identify the specific location of a genetic trait of interest on a chromosome. By flagging the desired trait, plant breeders can breed plants more efficiently. These markers enable researchers to rapidly analyze soybean plants and identify individuals that have the best expression of a desired trait, such as yield or oil content.

"The SSR markers are important tools for plant breeders and can accelerate the development of soybean varieties with improved protein and oil qualities that customers of the U.S. soybeans demand." says David Durham, a soybean farmer from Hardin, MO, and USB vice chairman.

The SSR markers are the result of work by Dr. Perry Cregan, a researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at the Soybean Genomic and Improvement Laboratory of the Plant Sciences Institute at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland. Cregan was the first scientist to use SSR markers in a plant species and over the past eight years, has developed more than 1,000 SSR soybean markers.

Before his work, soybean researchers primarily relied on another type of DNA marker referred to as restriction fragment length polymorphism, or RFLP. But Cregan saw limitations to using the RFLP makers in soybeans, particularly in screening large numbers of plants for soybean cyst nematode resistance.

Monsanto will release its genetic markers to the United Soybean Board's checkoff funded Better Bean Initiative. They will be made available to the public sector via the USB's Technology Utilization Center during May 2002.