DNA Plant Technology
DNA Plant Technology was an early pioneer in applying transgenic biotechnology to problems in agriculture. The company was founded in Cinnamonson, New Jersey, and moved to California in 1994. Some of the plants and products they developed included vine sweet mini peppers, the Fish tomato and Y1 tobacco. In 1996 the company merged with the Mexican conglomerate Empresas La Moderna, through its Bionovo subsidiary. In 2002, Bionova shut down DNA Plant Technology. History DNA Plant Technology was founded in 1981 by Dr. William R. Sharp and Dr. David A. Evans, in Cinnaminison, New Jersey, "to develop tastier, value-added plant-based products for industrial and consumer markets" using "advanced plant-breeding techniques, tissue-culture methods and molecular biology in developing premium food products and improving agricultural raw materials." By 1986, the company had gone public (NASDAQ:DNAP), and had partnerships with American Home Foods, Campbell Soup, Firmenich (a fragrance and flavor company), General Foods, Koppers Company, Hershey Foods, Brown and Williamson Tobacco, United Fruit, and others. By 1992 the company was investing heavily in genetic engineering and had invented, and obtained an issued patent for, the fish antifreeze gene that would become part of the infamous Fish tomato. In 1993, DNAP purchased the Freshworld premium