Agricultural biotechnology encompasses a set of technologies - genomic science, functional genomics, bioinformatics and genetic engineering technology - that improve yields and enable new agricultural products when applied to crop plants and livestock.

Examples include the creation of new animal breeds or crop varieties with improved characteristics, enhanced nutritional values, faster growth and disease resistance.

Advances in these technologies also enable expansion of agriculture into alternative, non-food, non-fiber products, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biomaterials and enzymes.

Although the agricultural commodities and alternative product markets have very different structures, to a great extent the same underlying R&D supports them.

The Research Triangle Region is strongly positioned to capitalize on the growth opportunities in both markets.

The region has several assets that work synergistically to create biotechnology applications for food and fiber products:

• North Carolina State University's research program in agricultural biotechnology, one of the nation's largest.
• Strong research programs in statistics, biology, botany, chemistry, genetics, medicine and engineering at North Carolina State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and others.
• Several programs focused on transferring university R&D to the large agricultural industry in the state, as well as NC State's leadership role in efforts to facilitate commercialization of agricultural intellectual property.
• Three of the world's largest agribusiness companies: Bayer CropScience, Syngenta Biotechnology and BASF.
• Entrepreneurial environment and ready access to investment capital and incubator infrastructure, which combines to nurture start-ups.
• Large agricultural industry and leadership in poultry and hog production, providing commercial pathways for launching improved agricultural commodities.
• Research and product divisions of several major pharmaceutical companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth and Biogen Idec.