With the help of agricultural industry partners, the University of California, Davis, has kicked off a $1.5 million fundraising campaign to build a new Seed Biotechnology Center. Sakata Seeds America, Inc. and Progeny Advanced Genetics have launched the campaign, with each company committing $100,000 toward establishing the center. The facility, which will coordinate cutting-edge research in plant genetics and related fields to improve seeds for agricultural crops, is slated for construction in 2001. It will be a major component of a new hub of plant science research buildings to be located on Hutchison Drive near the campus's west entrance. The area also will include the $1.5 million Bowley Plant Science Student Teaching Facility and a new $3.5 million greenhouse complex. "Most U.S. and international seed companies have production facilities in California because of the state's optimum growing conditions," said newly appointed center director Kent Bradford, a vegetable crops professor and an internationally recognized seed physiologist. "The wide range of industry representation, combined with the research and outreach expertise at UC Davis, make this the ideal location for the Seed Biotechnology Center." The center, which is being designed by UC Davis' College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in collaboration with seed industry representatives, will focus on research, education and public outreach. The center will promote collaborative research by campus scientists with expertise in a variety of fields including seed biology, plant pathology, molecular biology, entomology, agricultural economics and agricultural engineering. The facility also will provide access to plant germ plasm -- seeds and other plant genetic material necessary for research -- as well as the most advanced research technologies. "We look forward to using our campus resources to help industry solve practical problems," said Bradford. "This will include facilitating commercialization of university discoveries and licensing opportunities." The center also will provide numerous educational opportunities, including industry short-courses, workshops and conferences related to seed biology, production and technology. Internships and summer jobs for students, as well as employment for UC Davis graduates, will also be coordinated through the center. The center will work to enhance public awareness of seed industry issues, disseminating science-based information to promote the seed and plant-biotechnology industry, and to amplify the voice of the seed industry. Sakata Seeds America and Progeny Advanced Genetics both play key roles in the seed industry. Sakata is a worldwide leader in the breeding, production and marketing of flower and vegetable seed for the commercial market. Its international headquarters are in Yokohama, Japan, and its North American headquarters are located in Morgan Hill, Calif. The firm has been involved in agriculture for over 85 years, helping growers worldwide benefit through its research of improved varieties. "The seed industry has an excellent opportunity to partner with the university, develop the Seed Biotechnology Center and focus the intellectual resources of the university on the needs of our industry," said Gabe Patin, a Sakata Seeds America executive. Progeny Advanced Genetics is a lettuce-seed company headquartered in Salinas, Calif. During the past six years, the firm has developed into a highly successful and expanding company that produces high-performance lettuce varieties. "We recognize that the accelerated rate in which research technology is advancing holds great promise for the future," said Nathan K. Olivas, Progeny president. "By partnering with UC Davis we clearly see the opportunity for our entire industry to remain on the cutting edge of technology and to provide great value to everyone from producers to consumers."