Page 28 - AWA Vol.41-No.2

SOIL NUTRITION

Switch Bioworks Reduce Synthetic

Nitrogen Fertilizer in Crop Production

witch Bioworks, a biotechnol- said Founder and CEO of Switch
Sogy company developing low- Bioworks, Dr. Tim Schnabel. "This
cost and sustainable fertilizers, has grant is a major endorsement of our
been awarded a $2 million grant science-first approach and will al-
from the U.S. Department of Energy low us to pursue new, high-impact
(DOE) Advanced Research Proj- research directions towards our
ects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to goal of dropping the cost of fertiliz-
research and develop a biotechno- er for farmers while being stewards
logical approach turning microbes of the environment." tuning genetic switches to optimize
into nitrogen fertilizer producers.
Switch Bioworks' project is one their benefit on root colonization
The grant will catalyze and expand of nine selected for funding under and nitrogen delivery."
Switch Bioworks' R&D, which is cen- ARPA-E's program: Technologies
tered on enabling nitrogen-fixing to Emend and Obviate Synthetic Nearly half of U.S.-grown corn is
microbes to compete and establish Nitrogen's Toll on Emissions (TEO- used for ethanol production, a key
themselves on crop plant roots be- SYNTE). This program supports the ingredient in fuels like motor gaso-
fore switching to fertilizer produc- development of new technologies line and other chemicals. The ni-
tion – an industry-wide challenge that lower nitrous oxide emissions, trogen fertilizer required to grow
that has been limiting biofertilizer a greenhouse gas from nitrogen fer- corn is not only the biggest polluter
cost and performance. The prod- tilizers with a global warming po- in the bioethanol supply chain but
uct will be applied at planting with tential over 250 times higher than also one of the biggest budget costs
existing farmer practices and have carbon dioxide. in modern farm operations. Devel-
superior unit economics and sus- "We are delighted to have been opment of new technologies to re-
tainability benefits over traditional selected to participate in this ambi- duce reliance on synthetic nitrogen
fertilizers. fertilizer will substantially impact
tious ARPA-E program," says Princi-
"Engineering commercially rel- pal Investigator Dr. Marcelo Bueno the environment and economy,
evant biological nitrogen fixation Batista. "This funding will enable safeguarding the future of agricul-
for cereal crops like corn has chal- our team to pursue critically impor- ture and energy production in the
lenged scientists for over 50 years," tant R&D projects in building and U.S. Circle 39 on enquiry card

Isomerase and BugBiome Partner

to Advance Sustainable Crop Protection

somerase has formed a strategic ganisms and minimising environmental
Ipartnership with BugBiome, which is impact.
focused on the discovery of novel tar- BugBiome has the option to secure exclu-
geted bioinsecticides via insect behav- sive commercial rights to strains of particu-
ioural screening. This collaboration aims lar interest. Financial terms of the deal are
to accelerate the discovery of bioactive not being disclosed.
compounds from unexplored microbial This collaboration underscores the
sources, combining Isomerase’s extensive shared commitment of both companies to
collection of actinomycetes with BugBi- reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides,
ome’s insect behavioural screening plat- protect ecosystems, and deliver innovative
form, AvidX, to develop sustainable agri- solutions to meet global agricultural chal-
cultural solutions. lenges.
As part of this partnership, BugBiome Dr Alicia Showering. CEO and co-found-
will gain non-exclusive research access er of BugBiome, said "We are thrilled to
to Isomerase’s collection of approximately partner with Isomerase and gain access
7,000 proprietary actinomycete strains. of Isomerase’s extensive microbial collec- to their extensive collection of over 7,000
These strains have demonstrated a re- high-quality actinomycete strains. This
markable range of activity, having been tion, which includes nearly 20,000 prokary- partnership complements BugBiome’s in-
tested against a variety of pathogens and otic and eukaryotic isolates. BugBiome will house bioprospecting efforts, and we’re
evaluated for various biological activities, evaluate the actinomycete strains to iden- excited about its potential to generate tar-
including cytostatic, enzyme inhibition, tify actives that effectively deter important geted bioinsecticides that can protect sig-
and virus inhibition. The strains are part crop pests while protecting beneficial or- nificant crops globally." Circle 40 on enquiry card
26 Vol. 41 No. 2