Switch Bioworks, a company that engineers microbes that create nitrogen fertilizer on the plant root, a strategic collaboration with Bayer Crop Science on Switch’s genetic switch technology and its potential to develop next-generation biologicals that deliver clear benefits to growers.
Nitrogen fixation is an initial focus of the collaboration. Company officials said biological nitrogen has been one of agriculture’s “most promising frontiers,” but the field has faced a “stubborn technical trade-off: microbes engineered to produce nitrogen fertilizer can struggle to establish on the root, while those that establish reliably often don’t produce enough to create real value for growers.”
Switch Bioworks said it’s pioneering a new category of biofertilizer through programmable biology through genetically engineered microbes developed at Stanford. The microbes establish on the root first, then switch on nitrogen production once they're established. In grow-room studies, the company says, the genetic programming produced five times more nitrogen than always-on control strains.
“Bayer’s commitment to advancing agriculture through innovative biological solutions is unparalleled, and they have long demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the complexities of nitrogen performance in corn, Bayer is a testament to the potential of our platform, and this collaboration marks a pivotal milestone for our company,” said Tim Schnabel, found and CEO of Switch Bioworks.
“Growers need more options to manage unpredictable conditions, protect crop potential and optimize their crop nutrition programs. They also need to do this while meeting increasing expectations from consumers for more resilient and responsible food systems. Biologicals are another way we address these challenges,” said Benoit Hartmann, Insights, Innovation & Partnerships Lead at Bayer Crop Science.
“To address these incredibly complex challenges, we partner with innovators like Switch Bioworks around the world to help bring solutions to growers. We do that by complementing their expertise with our capabilities in product development, formulation, field testing and commercialization, as well as our understanding of crop genetics. That's the only way we’re going to accelerate progress.”
Switch has obtained USDA and EPA authorization for first-in-class field trials of its engineered microbial fertilizer, now underway at multiple sites across the U.S., and more recently secured approvals in Brazil from the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio).
