Renaissance BioScience Corp., a leader in yeast bioengineering, has announced a new project funded by Genome BC to adapt its RNA interference (RNAi) biopesticide technology for soil-dwelling crop pests, starting with wireworms. This initiative marks the company's first foray into below-ground pest control, addressing a significant technical challenge that could expand the scope of RNAi-based crop protection.
Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles, are among agriculture's most destructive pests, damaging crops like potatoes, root vegetables, corn, and cereals. They live underground for up to five years, feeding on seeds, seedlings, and roots, making them difficult to detect and control with conventional methods. Renaissance's project aims to develop a precision RNAi biopesticide targeting Agriotes species, responsible for substantial losses in Europe, North America, and other regions.
The company's proprietary yeast-based delivery platform is designed to protect RNAi molecules in the challenging soil environment and promote ingestion by wireworms. By identifying essential genes conserved across multiple Agriotes species, Renaissance intends to create a single product effective against several species. According to Dr. John Husnik, co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, "Wireworms are one of agriculture's most challenging insect pests... this project is strategically important because it will help determine how our yeast-based RNAi platform can be successfully extended from leaf-feeding insects to also target soil-dwelling pests."
This project builds on Renaissance's existing RNAi portfolio, which has shown promise against above-ground pests. Successfully adapting the technology for below-ground applications would represent a platform advance, enabling future products targeting a broad range of soil-dwelling insects. Such development supports the growing demand for sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides.
Genome BC, a not-for-profit organization advancing genomics research, has provided funding to support this innovation. Dr. Husnik expressed appreciation for their support, stating, "Our goal is to provide growers with a new tool for managing wireworms while expanding the capabilities of our yeast platform to address an entirely new category of agricultural pests."
For more information on Genome BC, visit www.genomebc.ca. Details about Renaissance BioScience can be found at www.renaissancebioscience.com.
