FMC partners with AgroSpheres to accelerate RNAi products to market

 FMC, a leading global agri-technology company, has announced a research collaboration with biotechnology company AgroSpheres that will accelerate the discovery and development of new biocides. This is an important part of our long-term strategic plan.

The partnership aims to strengthen FMC’s position as a market leader in insecticides and accelerate the time-to-market of the AgroSpheres’s RNA portfolio by combining AgroSpheres' production and formulation technology with FMC’s high-throughput testing, evaluation and go-to-market capabilities. Previously, FMC Ventures invested in 2023 in AgroSpheres, a startup developing biodegradable microcapsule technology to improve the delivery, stability and efficacy of biopesticides based on RNA interference (RNAi) technology.

Dr. Seva Rostovtsev, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said: "We believe RNAi can provide a strong new set of products for the crop protection market. AgroSpheres has built a strong platform to mine and produce these products."

RNAi biomolecules show great promise in the laboratory, but it is difficult to play a stable role in commercial development. AgroSpheres' patented AgriCell manufacturing technology enables multiple RNA molecules to function in a stable manner. AgroSpheres' technology for encapsulating RNA biomolecules enhances the stability and efficacy of RNA and increases the RNA intake of pests. AgroSpheres' breakthrough technologies effectively increase the product offering and increase the level of innovation.

″Ameer Shakeel, Founder and CTO of AgroSpheres, said: "At a time when the global market is in dire need of effective products to address pesticide resistance, FMC is taking the foresight to meet the demand for high-performance biologics by investing in the next generation of technology and setting aggressive targets. As a leader in bringing products to market, FMC is the ideal partner for AgroSpheres."