BASF and Cibus Achieve Development Milestone In CLEARFIELD® Production System

* Enhanced herbicide tolerance in new CLEARFIELD® trait proven in greenhouse and
field trials.

* Results confirm new technological paradigm for developing valuable traits in
plants.

* BASF to enhance the value of CLEARFIELD Production System traits for oilseed
rape / canola with Cibus` RTDS (Rapid Trait Development System).

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany & SAN DIEGO--(Business Wire)--
BASF, the world`s leading chemical company, and Cibus, a leading plant trait
development technology company, today announced that they have reached a
significant research milestone for developing CLEARFIELD Production System
plants in Brassica winter oilseed rape and in spring canola. Cibus` patented
Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS) was used to enhance the tolerance levels
of spring canola plants to BASF`s popular CLEARFIELD herbicides. Data from both
greenhouse and field trials show that the new generation of products
demonstrates enhanced tolerance levels to CLEARFIELD herbicides. Additionally,
the new and improved CLEARFIELD traits will enable canola breeders to develop
high yielding hybrids more quickly with greater efficiencies.

Alyson Emanuel, BASF Director, Global Strategic Marketing Herbicides, said, "We
are very pleased with the success of the next generation of CLEARFIELD products.
BASF worked with Cibus to develop seeds using Cibus` RTDS technology to target a
specific trait not previously achieved with other technologies and the results
have been outstanding. As a result of the development of this new proprietary
herbicide tolerant trait using the RTDS process, seed companies will be able to
put this unique trait into hybrids more efficiently, leading to increased
on-farm yields."

Production improvements are beneficial for both farmers and seed company
producers, and this novel development will enable a more cost effective hybrid
development program to provide farmers with higher yielding, superior performing
hybrids for the CLEARFIELD Production System in oilseed rape / canola. BASF
anticipates commercializing the new trait as early as 2013.

Cibus` proprietary gene conversion technology, RTDS, enables trait development
that is quicker to market with less regulatory expense. RTDS technology is a
non-transgenic approach for providing plant improvements as compared to
classical genetic transformation. BASF`s flagship brand in herbicide tolerance
weed control, the CLEARFIELD Production System, matches agronomically advanced
seed varieties with custom-designed imidazolinone herbicides that provide
extended grass and broadleaf weed control to the farmer.

"This innovative new technology adds further confirmation that valuable traits
can be developed in plants without the insertion of foreign DNA into plants.
This is a milestone development for Cibus and BASF," said Cibus Chairman Stephen
Evans-Freke. "RTDS technology has broad applications to develop traits in many
different types of plant species. The RTDS technology is very precise, allowing
companies such as BASF to bring their improved products or traits to market
quicker and at lower costs compared to other technologies. Cibus is committed to
developing other non-transgenic traits for agriculture."

About the CLEARFIELD Production System

The CLEARFIELD Production System has been used extensively since 1995. The
system matches carefully selected advanced seed varieties/hybrids with
custom-designed imidazolinone herbicides. All CLEARFIELD varieties and hybrids
are recognized as non-transgenic by international authorities. At the present
time, BASF possesses the world`s largest portfolio of non-transgenic herbicide
tolerant traits and has established relationships with over 100 seed companies
throughout the world. This strategy of worldwide alliances supports the program
with an unmatched offering of seed alternatives to meet the specific local needs
and preferences of individual growers.

About BASF

With sales of €3,137 million in 2007, BASF`s Crop Protection division is a
leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing
well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides.
Farmers use these products and services to improve crop yields and crop quality.
Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and
ornamental plants, vegetation management, and forestry. The vision of BASF`s
Crop Protection division is to be the world`s leading innovator, optimizing
agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of
life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web
at www.agro.basf.com.

BASF is the world`s leading chemical company. Its portfolio ranges from oil and
gas to chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products, and
fine chemicals. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all
industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent
solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges
such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF has
more than 95,000 employees and posted sales of almost €58 billion in 2007. BASF
shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and
Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at
www.basf.com

About RTDS

RTDSTM technology produces changes within a plant species that could only occur
in nature, but does so in a directed way. Thanks in part to recent developments
in genome mapping, RTDS is significantly more precise and much faster than
conventional plant breeding in the process of new trait development in plants.

RTDS, known as directed mutagenesis, works through the cell`s natural process of
gene repair. Every time a cell copies DNA, it makes "scrivener" errors or
spelling mistakes. These variations happen all the time, which is how natural
variation occurs. Cibus` technology harnesses the cell`s own natural DNA repair
machinery to correct such spelling mistakes, thus directing DNA repair enzymes
to correct and repair the targeted gene in a specific way in order to produce a
desired trait. This very precise process is similar to altering a single letter
in a word contained within a large book.

About Cibus LLC

Cibus LLC is a privately-held San Diego-based trait development company that
produces crop traits for the agricultural community. Through the application of
a proprietary technology called the Rapid Trait Development System (RTDSTM),
Cibus creates traits in a directed way with more precision than traditional
breeding techniques and without the introduction of foreign genetic material.
RTDS has proven itself in the laboratory with several different crops, as well
as in initial field trials of Cibus` first commercial crop, canola. Further
information on Cibus can be found on the Web at www.cibus.com.

Always read and follow label directions.

CLEARFIELD is a registered trademark of BASF.
©2008 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
RTDS is a trademark of Cibus.

Media:
BASF
Elise Kissling, +49 621 60-27450
Crop Protection Communications
Fax: +49 621-66-27450
elise.kissling@basf.com
or
Cibus
United States:
The Rosen Group
Shawna Seldon, 212 255 7541
shawna@rosengrouppr.com
or
Europe:
Financial Dynamics
David Yates (London), +44(0) 20 7269 7156
david.yates@fd.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009