AgroPages-Evogene completed first computational discovery of novel microbial genes for insect control-Agricultural news

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Evogene Ltd. Israel biotechnology company, recently announced that successful completion of the first computational discovery round for microbial genes with insecticidal properties by a unique computational technology infrastructure consisting of a proprietary microbial-based database and a dedicated analysis platform, BiomeMinerTM.

The candidate genes will be validated against target Coleoptera and Lepidoptera insects such as corn rootworm and corn earworm at the Company's dedicated R&D site located in St. Louis, Missouri. Validation is expected to be completed next year.

The microbial-based database of Evogene, currently containing tens of millions of microbial genes, is capable of integrating data from diverse microbial sources including publicly available data and data collections from proprietary experimental samples enriched for insecticidal activity. A unique feature of the database is the integration capabilities of vast amounts of highly sparse and complex 'metagenomics' data.

The BiomeMinerTM analysis platform utilizes advanced machine learning algorithms to rapidly identify and prioritize genes with insecticidal properties. The platform sifts through the vast microbial gene pool in the database and elects a limited number of genes with the potential for insecticidal properties.