NCSU receives patent for latest genetically engineered plant

Researchers at N.C. State University received approval for a patent on a new species of winterberry holly plant, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week.

The plant’s birth came from the lab of Thomas Ranney, a horticulture researcher based at N.C. State’s Mills River lab for the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service.

According to the lab’s website, he focuses on engineering new plants to strengthen commercial agriculture and bioenergy production efficiencies.

The holly plant, nicknamed “Little Goblin,” is distinctive for its larger than typical red berries, its small stature and because it carries twice the DNA of its close biological relatives, the patent states.

Ranney previously patented 16 plants and has at least nine patents pending, according to the website.

Note: This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism