AgroPages-Partnering with multinationals: Unique biologicals R&D engines behind innovative companies-Agricultural news

In the technological revolution of agriculture, innovative biotechnology companies are becoming the game changers. Cutting-edge technologies are reshaping the R&D for biological agri-inputs, opening new ways for sustainable agricultural development and attracting interest from the multinationals. Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, FMC, BASF and other key players have been optimistic about the disruptive technologies for the biologicals R&D, initiating strategic collaborations with the technology owners over the past two years.

This article explores how these advanced technologies are transforming the biologicals R&D, while looking ahead to the future prospects.

Artificial Intelligence + Unique Database: Revolutionizing Bioactive Discovery

The most significant industry revolution currently stems from big data and artificial intelligence (AI) applied to agriculture. Emerging technology companies have developed platforms that are attracting industry giants to accelerate the research on innovative bioactives.

Lavie Bio applies this approach on microbials R&D. The company's Biology Driven Design (BDD) platform accelerates product design and development by decoding complex interactions between microbiome and hosts, identifying key gene elements that regulate these interactions. This innovative approach can amplify positive interactions, eliminate negative ones, and even recover lost interactions, powered by big data and AI through the parent company Evogene's MicroBoost AI.

MicroBoost AI drives microbials R&D using advanced genome-based computational biology platform. The challenge of identifying the optimal combination from billions of microorganisms with diverse functions is immense. To discover the most promising candidates, the platform employs unique computational biology approach and experimental capabilities. The process begins with defining ideal product requirements, regarding activity, sales potential, properties, and host microbiome ecosystem. These requirements are translated into biological functions within Evogene's gene pool, which contains a rich variety of globally collected microorganisms. The computational tools transform this gene pool into a biological function database, enabling matching of product functions and identifying the microbial candidates that meet the requirements. [1]

Take the R&D process of Yalos, Lavie Bio's biostimulant, as an example. From hundreds of thousands of strains, computational analysis screened out less than 0.1% of microbes with the required functions. Experimental evaluations further narrowed this to 20-40 strains passing greenhouse verification, with 5-10 ultimately selected for field trials. This process took only one year. [2] Yalos has already entered the US and Canadian markets.

Lavie Bio currently collaborates with the giants Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta and ICL to research and develop biologicals.

Agrematch is an AI company focusing on sustainable solutions for agriculture and food industry. Their AI search engine, Agresense, has a biochemical language that articulates specific needs and reveals functional active molecules. [3]

By combining machine/deep learning algorithms with unique biological, chemical, and agricultural database, Agrematch has created an integrated AI predictive platform. Their unique approach involves loading training data into a model generator to create a specific activity model. Then the system identifies candidates using predictive algorithms applied to billions of compounds in their massive database.

Beyond discovering active substances, the system also predicts and characterize their critical attributes. Early virtual screening can predict toxicity profile, mode of action, product mixture compatibility, environmental impact, COGS and others. These aspects traditionally evaluated only in later stage of the product development. This approach accelerates the development process.

In 2023, ICL partnered with Agrematch to leverage their AI platform to discover innovative crop nutrition solutions.

Another company that uses AI and database in product R&D is Moa Technology. It is a biotechnology company spun out of Oxford University, with a world-class scientists and industry experts. The company is dedicated to reinventing the development of synthetic and biological herbicides.

The company's unique high throughput screening technology GALAXY can test up to 30,000 compounds on living plants in a month. Leveraging AI, machine learning, and database, GALAXY can rapidly determine the effectiveness and novel modes of action for each compound within just a few days. Moa analyzes promising compounds through biochemical, bioanalytical, and computational tools. They use transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics to further identify target proteins and biological pathways. Leveraging AI and unique database, they can select molecules with safety profiles and optimal performance at the earliest stages of research. The company's discovery platforms have already found about 70 novel modes of action. This achievement positions Moa to potentially supply farmers with a new generation of herbicides that offer improved weed control and reduced environmental impact. [4]

In 2024, Moa has established strategic partnerships. A 10-year collaboration with Croda aims to combine Croda's marine microbiome research with Moa's herbicide discovery platform to develop next-generation bioherbicides. Additionally, the company announced a global agreement with Nufarm to jointly develop and commercialize herbicides featuring innovative modes of action.

From Animal Immunity to Crop Protection: Novel R&D for Protein-based Pesticides

Another company with unique technology in the research on active ingredients is Biotalys. They have developed AGROBODY Foundry for quick R&D of innovative biologicals to control insect pests and diseases. The technology, originally discovered at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, is based on the observation that Camelidae can produce a special class of antibodies that differ from conventional antibodies. These heavy-chain-only antibodies, lacking the CH1 domain and the light chains, can still bind conventional antigens through a single variable domain (VHH) – the smallest functional fragment of naturally heavy-chain antibodies. [5]

VHH application research on plant protection has been limited, but Biotalys has developed VHH for agricultural use. AGROBODY Foundry is applied to develop VHH biopesticies. Such bioactives have several advantages:

Fermentation using simple microbes reduces energy and waste from the production.
They are compatible with existing application equipment and easily integrated into IPM.
More stable than microbial pesticides.
As effective as chemical pesticides while harmless to non-target organisms and the environment.
They are biodegradable in the environment and can break down into amino acids which are potential nutrients for plants and microbes. Their stability is optimized to allow maximum efficacy before degradation.

The R&D of Biotalys' first protein-based pesticide, EVOCA, exemplifies this innovative approach. Researchers immunized llama with Fusarium oxysporum extracts. VHH-encoding cDNA was amplified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) purified from llama blood samples and cloned into a phagemid vector. Using phage display technology, the required VHHs are enriched and selected from millions of VHH in the library. These selected VHHs were then expressed in a microbial host for further characterization.

In 2023, Biotalys started strategic partnerships with multinationals. The company has entered into partnership with Syngenta to develop bioinsecticides. Biotalys and Novonesis work together to manufacture and commercialize EVOCA NG.

Breaking the Bottleneck of Biologicals Stability and Efficacy: Innovative Encapsulation Emerges

Many newly developed bioactives face significant challenges related to low stability and short efficacy. In response, industry leaders are working on technologies to improve the products, forming strategic partnerships with promising company.

AgroSpheres, a developer of biologicals such as RNAi biopesticides, stands out with its unique biodegradable encapsulation technology AgriCell. This innovative approach addresses critical stability and effectiveness problems in biologicals applications. The technology protects active ingredients from degradation caused by environmental factors like high temperatures, ultraviolet rays, and pH changes. AgriCell demonstrates remarkable stability, with a shelf life of 24-30 months across a wide pH range (4-11) and temperatures (0-54°C). [6] This characteristic is particularly crucial for unstable biological active ingredients such as RNA. Moreover, the technology enables controlled release of active ingredients, extending the of biologicals efficacy in the field. [7]

The production process is innovative. AgroSpheres produces active ingredients in a bioreactor, where AgriCells separated from parent cells, can encapsulate the ingredients during fermentation. This one-step production reduces the manufacturing costs for the biologicals.

In 2024, the company achieved a milestone when the US EPA registered its first biofungicide using AgriCell technology. This product, containing thyme extract, targets diseases like gray mold and powdery mildew in fruits and vegetables. Thyme extract is volatile and unstable at high temperatures which is mitigated by AgriCell. [8]

Future registered products will contain other active ingredients, such as RNA. In 2024, FMC announced a collaboration with AgroSpheres to discover and develop novel RNAi bioinsecticides, and BASF announced partnership with AgroSpheres to develop and commercialize category-defining broad-spectrum bioinsecticide leveraging AgriCell-powered biomolecules.

Analytical Technology Provides Feedback on Biologicals Performance and Improvement Guidelines

Biome Makers is an agricultural technology company focusing on soil health. Its BeCrop platform can analyze soil data to predict risks, increase crop yields, and improve soil health. Biologicals developers can use their soil analysis data to develop more competitive products. With an extensive database of 24 million microbes, BeCrop leverages soil microbiome DNA and machine learning to analyze the microbes in the soil and their interactions among them and with crops and ecosystems. Biome Makers has the advanced computing capabilities and the largest database of microbial species, providing partners with an intelligent technology platform. [9]

Their technology has analyzed over 200 crops across more than 56 countries. BeCrop can analyze and compare data, connect soil needs with inputs, and provide guidance for sustainable farm management. The platform offers soil health intelligence on yield limitations, disease diagnosis, evaluates input products, and generates action plans for biologicals companies to support product development.

In 2023, UPL announced a partnership with Biome Makers to conduct a series of global trials using BeCrop to gain deeper insights into the mode of action of UPL products. The data collected from these trials will provide valuable guidance for future product development and help growers make more informed planting decisions.

Future Prospects

As global demand continues to grow for environmentally friendly and effective solutions, biologicals are experiencing a golden age of technological innovation. In the future, such products will continue to address critical challenges for sustainable agriculture through breakthrough technologies.

Regarding the weed control, herbicide resistance has forced many farmers to increase herbicide usage, doubling weed control costs. The root cause is the extreme difficulty of discovering active ingredients with innovative modes of actions.

Increasingly prevalent pesticide resistance, high biologicals production costs and other challenges urgently require R&D to employ new technologies.

The application of AI in biologicals R&D is gaining significant momentum. Companies such as Lavie Bio, Agrematch, and Moa have successfully used AI to identify new ingredients for biologicals, an achievement built on high-quality data. The unique big data resources of these companies highlight their competitive advantages. Lavie Bio believes that AI technology can transform the agricultural industry by improving the efficacy of biologics, reducing development costs, and enhancing their competitiveness compared to chemical products. As data and AI technologies continue to evolve, more crops will benefit from AI-driven biologicals, further improving the sustainability of agricultural production.

Biotechnology innovation is advancing through different approaches. For instance, Biotalys' protein-based pesticides developed using Camelidae antibodies have demonstrated remarkable potential for interdisciplinary innovation.

Stability has been a critical challenge for biologicals, and companies like AgroSpheres are addressing this issue through innovative encapsulation technology. Its AgriCell can substantially extend the stability and duration of active ingredients, opening new application possibilities for unstable bioactives such as RNA.

The emergence of analytical technologies, such as Biome Makers' BeCrop, provides more precise data support for biologicals development. It assists biologicals companies in creating more competitive products and ensures products better align with actual needs.

The future development of biologicals will become increasingly intelligent and precise. The strategic partnerships between multinationals and innovative companies demonstrate the industry's profound confidence in this field. Biologicals are gradually evolving from niche technologies to become core solutions for sustainable agriculture.

Novel technologies behind biologicals R&D will be a topic to be discussed at the 6th Biopesticides, Biostimulants and Biofertilizers Summit (BioEx 2025). We are calling companies with disruptive technology to submit your presentation abstract to the event organizer. You may get a valuable speaking opportunity at BioEx 2025!

Please contact:

Christina Xie

Co-partner & Editor-in-chief at AgroPages

Email: christina@agropages.com

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