Biocontrol solution using engineered bacillus strains for crop pathogen suppression
Terra Bioforge presents an innovative biocontrol solution utilizing engineered GRAS Bacillus strains to combat fungal and oomycete pathogens in crops. By enhancing antimicrobial metabolite production and introducing zwittermicin biosynthetic genes, this solution offers potent pathogen suppression and improved plant growth.
Overview
Terra Bioforge has developed a pioneering biocontrol solution aimed at reducing the impact of fungal and oomycete pathogens on economically significant crops such as corn, soybean, and cotton. This solution leverages GRAS Bacillus strains, which are engineered to enhance their production of antimicrobial secondary metabolites. By integrating a biosynthetic gene cluster for zwittermicin, known for its antifungal and anti-oomycete properties, these enhanced Bacillus strains provide superior pathogen suppression. This approach not only increases disease resistance in crops but also supports a 10% improvement in plant growth.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Utilizes GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) Bacillus strains engineered for enhanced antimicrobial metabolite production.
- Incorporation of zwittermicin biosynthetic gene clusters to boost antifungal and anti-oomycete activities.
- Multiple modes of action reduce the likelihood of resistance development in pathogens.
- Demonstrates a 10% increase in plant growth and resilience against microbial pathogens.
This innovative solution aims to replace chemical pesticides with a biopesticide approach, reducing environmental impact and potential regulatory hurdles by utilizing cis-engineering techniques.
Technology readiness level
Currently, the technology is at a Technology Readiness Level 4, indicating that it has been validated in a laboratory environment. Further development and field trials are planned to progress towards commercial application.
About Terra Bioforge
Terra Bioforge is a synthetic biology company that specializes in microbial strain engineering for the discovery and production of valuable natural products. The company utilizes a proprietary platform that integrates genomics, metabolomics, AI-driven metabolite analysis, and data science to reprogram biosynthetic pathways. Their core technologies include MycoDrive, a genome engineering platform for filamentous fungi, and a Metabologenomics approach that maps microbial molecules to their specific genetic recipes. By offering custom genetic engineering services for bacterial and fungal strains—such as Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Streptomyces—the company enables the creation of efficient microbial factories for various industrial applications.
These capabilities are designed to help pharmaceutical and agtech partners shorten R&D timelines, increase fermentation efficiency, and reduce production costs for complex chemistries. The company supports projects across human health, animal health, and agriculture, including tasks such as optimizing nutrient utilization, stable fluorescent labeling, and the secretion of bioactive peptides or enzymes. By enabling the scalable production of natural compounds, Terra Bioforge assists customers in bringing products to market faster and more cost-effectively, addressing significant production challenges in the biotechnology and life sciences industries.
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