MIT News breed · Wetenschap

Robigo Develops Engineered Microbes to Replace Chemical Pesticides

Robigo, a startup co-founded by Andee Wallace, is engineering naturally occurring microbes with enhanced pest-fighting capabilities using technologies like RNA interference and CRISPR. This aims to provide farmers with a more sustainable and effective alternative to traditional chemical pesticides, addressing environmental and health concerns while maintaining crop yields.

Farmers worldwide spend $80 billion annually on pesticides, which harm beneficial organisms, pollute waterways, and are linked to human diseases. Microbial pesticides are gaining traction but are often less effective than chemical alternatives. Robigo's technology engineers self-replicating microbes that target plant pathogens more precisely and effectively than existing solutions.

Wallace envisions a food system in balance with the environment, moving away from the 70-year reliance on chemical pesticides. Field trials have shown Robigo's microbes offer comparable results to chemical pesticides, with one trial demonstrating a 250 percent increase in crop yield compared to another microbial product.

Robigo's ARGO biotechnology platform combines synthetic biology and computational design to engineer microbes that perform similarly to chemical pesticides but with improved safety. The microbes leverage self-replication to continuously produce bioactive molecules throughout the growing season. The company has shifted from delivering CRISPR to RNA-interference (RNAi) to inhibit pathogen functions.

Unlike other companies that screen for new microbes, Robigo equips robust, industry-proven microbes with specific pest and disease targeting abilities. Their approach focuses on designing RNAi to target different diseases, with 'RNAi stacking' combining multiple RNAi into a single microbe for broader pathogen control.

Field trials for Robigo's lead products on soybeans and lettuce showed a single application provided season-long crop protection, matching the performance of leading chemical pesticides at a lower cost. The company is expanding rapidly, partnering with agrochemical companies to scale its technology to more crops and farmers globally.

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