WOBURN, Mass., July 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ:YTEN), a Company developing new technologies to create step-change improvements in crop yield to enhance global food security, announced that its 2018 field test program has begun based on the recent completion of planting at study sites in Canada and the United States.

During the program, Yield10 is evaluating the novel yield trait gene C3003 in Camelina and canola, and bulking up seed in soybean at sites in Canada. In previous field tests, C3003 has shown promising improvements in oilseed yield. Yield10 is also evaluating for the first time the genome-edited trait C3008 in Camelina in the United States. Following completion of these field tests, the Company expects to harvest plants in the third quarter and to report results of the study in the fourth quarter of 2018.

“We experienced difficult planting conditions on the Canadian prairies due to a recent early season heat wave. Having said that, our field test sites are now planted and our team is executing a comprehensive set of studies to evaluate C3003 in oilseed crops,” said Kristi Snell, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of Yield10 Bioscience. “We look forward to collecting field data that will allow us to continue to optimize the use of C3003 to improve seed yield in commercial oilseed crops, and to define the potential market opportunity to address the unmet need for global food security.”

Dr. Snell continued, “The evaluation of C3008 in the field for the first time this year will mark an important milestone in our research to develop and evaluate genome-edited traits in oilseed crops. C3008 is one of a number of gene targets, including the recently licensed C3007 gene from the University of Missouri, that we plan to stack through multiple genome edits as a new strategy to significantly increase oil content and improve oil stability in oilseed crops. Evaluation of C3008 in the field this year is intended to provide a baseline of performance for comparison with future results using new plant lines containing stacked edits.”

Background on Yield10’s 2018 Field Test Program

The main focus of the Company’s 2018 Field Test Program will be on the novel yield trait gene C3003 in Camelina, canola and soybean. Yield10 is also conducting a field test of Camelina lines that have been genome-edited to inactivate the C3008 gene as part of a new multi-trait approach to increase seed oil content and to potentially improve oil stability.

A summary of Yield10’s 2018 Field Test Program:

• Camelina/C3003: Yield10 will test Gen 2.0 and 2.1 versions of C3003 in Camelina from seed produced during its 2017 field tests.
• Canola/C3003: Yield10 will test Gen 1.0 C3003 from seed produced in its 2017 field tests, and for the first time will conduct a field test of Gen 2.0 C3003 in canola using recently harvested greenhouse grown seed.
• Soybean/C3003: Yield10 will conduct small-scale field work for the first time for Gen 1.0 and Gen 2.0 C3003 in soybean using recently harvested greenhouse grown seed.
• Camelina/C3008: Yield10 will conduct field tests with genome-edited C3008 lines for which the Company obtained non-regulated status from USDA-APHIS in 2017.

For more information on Yield10’s 2018 Field Test Program, please refer to the press release issued on April 23, 2018.

AboutYield10 Bioscience

Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. is focused on developing new technologies to achieve step-change improvements in crop yield to enhance global food security. Yield10 has an extensive track record of innovation based around optimizing the flow of carbon in living systems. Yield10 is leveraging its technology platforms and unique knowledge base to design precise alterations to gene activity and the flow of carbon in plants to produce higher yields with lower inputs of land, water or fertilizer. Yield10 is advancing several yield traits it has developed in crops such as Camelina, canola, soybean and rice. Yield10 is headquartered in Woburn, MA and has an Oilseeds Center of Excellence in Saskatoon, Canada.

For more information about the Company, please visit www.yield10bio.com.

(YTEN-G)

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release which are not strictly historical, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s intentions with regard to plans to continue field tests with Camelina, canola and soybean in 2018, the results and outcome of those tests, expectations with regard to the timing of reporting results of the 2018 field tests, and weather conditions in the regions where the Company is conducting its tests, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including the risks and uncertainties detailed in Yield10 Bioscience's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Yield10 assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the matters described herein.

Contacts:

Yield10 Bioscience:Lynne H. Brum, (617) 682-4693, LBrum@yield10bio.com

Investor Relations:Amato and Partners, LLCadmin@amatoandpartners.com

Media Inquiries:Eric FischgrundFischtank Marketing and PReric@fischtankpr.com

Source: Yield10 Bioscience, Inc.https://yield10bioscienceinc.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/yield10-bioscience-begins-field-testing-novel-yield-trait-gene