Syngenta and Lavie Bio announce a collaboration to jointly develop new biocides

Syngenta and Lavie Bio, Evogene's agricultural biology company, have announced an agreement to jointly discover and develop new biocides.

The collaboration will leverage Lavie Bio's unique technology platform to rapidly identify and optimize biocide candidates, leveraging Syngenta's global research, development and commercialization capabilities.

Insects pose a major threat to global crop health, directly harming crops by feeding on plant stems, fruits and roots, or indirectly infecting crops with diseases through the transmission of bacteria, viruses and fungi, costing the global economy an estimated $70 billion per year (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Experts predict these losses will worsen as global warming increases the risk of invasive pests and resistance to existing pesticides.

Camilla Corsi, Global Head of Research for Crop Protection at Syngenta, said: "Syngenta is a leader in advancing sustainable agriculture, and we are excited to partner with Lavie Bio on biocontrol innovations to bring growers products with new mechanisms of action to combat pest resistance. This collaboration is Syngenta's commitment to work with cutting-edge agricultural technology companies to blend digital and experimental approaches to accelerate and diversify innovation.

Amit Noam, CEO of Lavie Bio, said: "We are delighted to partner with Syngenta, a world leader in agricultural innovation. Both companies are committed to sustainable crop production, and our goal is to develop an impactful biopesticide product. Lavie Bio's unique computing capabilities and Syngenta's extensive experience in developing and commercializing innovative products make this collaboration significant."