BIOSIFT bioinformatic discovery pipeline for plant disease biocontrol bacteria and bioactives

Overview

PfBIO provides bioactive bacteria designed to promote plant health, improve soil quality, and protect crops from major agricultural diseases. The company has developed BIOSIFT, a knowledge-based discovery pipeline that enables quick, effective, and efficient identification of biocontrol bacteria, their bioactive molecules, and the associated mechanisms of action. The central hypothesis driving the platform is that plant disease selects for particularly effective bioactive molecules within the plant-associated microbiota, making infected environments a rich hunting ground for novel crop protection agents.

BIOSIFT addresses the growing need for sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals. By systematically screening microbes from infected plants and farmland, PfBIO can rapidly pinpoint strains that naturally suppress pathogens, then characterize the specialized metabolites responsible for that activity. This approach underpins the company's MARA product line, a range of multi-active, bacteria-based bioprotectants suitable for foliar spray or irrigation application across crops such as strawberries and other berries.

Technical specifications

Discovery workflow:

• Collection of hundreds of potential biocontrol microbes from farmland and infected plant debris
• Phenotypic screening for traits associated with pathogen biocontrol
• Whole-genome sequencing of promising isolates
• Identification of biosynthetic gene clusters using publicly available and proprietary bioinformatic and statistical analyses
• Genetic confirmation of the importance of key biosynthetic gene clusters to biocontrol activity
• In vitro characterization of secreted bioactive molecules

Scientific basis:

• Plant-associated microbiomes contain thousands of competing microbes representing a massive pool of genetic diversity and specialized metabolite potential
• Upon infection, microbes face strong selective pressure, favoring those producing specialized metabolites that suppress invading pathogens
• The approach has been validated in two major industry-focused projects: characterizing soil Pseudomonas spp. relationships with common scab (Streptomyces scabies) in UK potato fields, and isolating novel biocontrol agents against kiwifruit canker (Pseudomonas actinidiae) in partnership with Zespri Group Ltd. in New Zealand

Product pipeline integration:

• BIOSIFT outputs feed directly into the MARA bioprotectant product line
• Multi-active bacterial formulations designed for comprehensive crop protection and biostimulation
• Suitable for foliar spray or irrigation application methods

Technology readiness level

BIOSIFT has been validated through two completed industry-focused research projects, both of which successfully identified effective bioactive bacteria and specialized metabolites against their target pathogens, confirming the central hypothesis. The pipeline is operational and has demonstrated its ability to deliver promising biocontrol candidates within project timeframes. Based on prior project performance, an initial year-long project is expected to yield several promising bioactive candidates. PfBIO is actively developing commercial prototypes supported by Innovate UK funding and private investment, with initial market focus on the berry sector before expanding to additional valuable crops.