AgBiome: Partnering with the Microbial World to Develop Effective and Innovative Products Using Its Highly Advanced Discovery Platform GENESIS™

″AgBiome is constantly evaluating products through our research and development pipeline. We plan to continue delivering novel tools for crop protection for growers as well as pursuing partnerships that allow us to apply our microbial discovery platform to new industries,″ said Adam Burnhams, Chief Commercial Officer at AgBiome, in a recent interview with AgroPages.

Adam also introduced the market landscape of the biological industry, AgBiome ‘s proprietary GENESIS™ platform, strategic partnerships, financing situation, as well as future development plans.

Adam Burnhams
Chief Commercial Officer at AgBiome

Could you describe the current state of the biological market? What and where are the biggest opportunities and challenges for biologicals? What are the factors affecting changes of the biological market?

The biologicals industry has significant upward potential due to the many impactful applications of biologicals for our food supply. Biologicals can be used to control a wide range of pests and diseases, including insects, fungi, and bacteria, as well as to improve soil health, plant growth and development, and ultimately, yield and ROI for growers.

The biological market is currently in a state of growth, driven by a number of factors. Consumers are increasingly demanding food produced in a sustainable way, and biologicals are seen as a more sustainable alternative to conventional pesticides. Many countries are tightening regulations on the use of conventional pesticides, which is creating an opportunity for biologicals. There have been significant advances in biological research in recent years, leading to the development of new and more effective biological products.

What kind of biologicals do you think are the most promising? What do you feel could be the next breakthrough innovation?

The most promising segments for biologicals are in the areas of crop protection, soil health, and plant growth promotion. As consumer demand for sustainable food production grows and government regulations on conventional pesticides tighten, the biological market is likely to continue to grow. Specifically, insecticides, nematicides, and herbicides are areas in biologicals with great potential to grow. With the current rate of innovation in our industry, we expect to see a lot of new, exciting products in that space in the next few years.

Could you share some typical changes and future of development trends of the biological industry?

The agriculture biological industry is becoming increasingly globalized as companies seek to bring innovative products into new markets. Biologicals have the potential to help growers globally with overcoming pest resistance, maintaining high microbial diversity in soils, and replacing energy and chemical-intensive processes with biological alternatives. Additionally, most biologicals have an optimal safety profile and can help decrease worker exposure to chemicals.

There have also been significant advances in biological research in recent years, leading to the development of new and more effective biological products. This is providing farmers with more options for controlling pests and diseases and improving soil health.

Please introduce AgBiome and its global presence and core strengths. Highlight its proprietary GENESIS™ platform, biological products, and special features. What are the strategies of biological development and integration? How does your company combine biologicals with services?  

AgBiome is a leader in agricultural innovation, partnering with the microbial world to develop effective and innovative products using our highly advanced discovery platform, GENESIS. GENESIS equips us with the unique ability to research and develop microbial-based solutions. Through our library of more than 100,000 fully sequenced genomes, we are able to identify, develop, and commercialize novel solutions in sectors from crop protection to animal health, human health, and more.

Could you share the strategic partnerships with different companies and the progress and achievements of cooperation?

Recently, AgBiome has partnered with Lamberti to collaborate on developing new biological crop protection products; we have also partnered with Ginkgo Bioworks to optimize the performance of products in AgBiome’s pipeline of agricultural biologicals. In the last 12 months, AgBiome has established strategic partnerships with global agriculture leaders, including Summit Agro Mexico (SAM) and ANASAC, to expand distribution into key markets in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. AgBiome has also secured key partnerships with innovative companies, including 3Bar Biologics and W.L.Gore & Associates, to discover new applications for microbial-based innovation.

What is the appeal of AgBiome to investors? What is the current financing situation? How have these funds been applied to the company's core mission?

The current financing situation of AgBiome is robust, with substantial investments secured from various sources. These investments have been crucial in supporting our company's research and development efforts, enabling us to advance our pipeline of products while enhancing our ability to achieve our core mission: Develop novel and necessary biological-based products and traits to enhance global food production and feed the world responsibly.

Could you introduce the overview of biological R&D, production, and application of AgBiome and relevant facilities and capabilities? What are the biggest challenges and countermeasures during the above process?

AgBiome’s impressive group of experts and innovators are dedicated to pursuing excellence by challenging the status quo within microbial innovation. Our experts are able to discover and develop novel biological solutions while overcoming challenges and addressing key global needs.

What’s the future development plan?

AgBiome is constantly evaluating products through our research and development pipeline. We plan to continue delivering novel tools for crop protection for growers as well as pursuing partnerships that allow us to apply our microbial discovery platform to new industries.

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