Engineering better microbes
for agriculture
We design microbes for more sustainable and nutritious agriculture.
Every teaspoon of soil is home to billions of microbes
By engineering microbes that colonize crops, we aim to lift the performance of biological agricultural solutions to unprecedented levels, providing farmers with sustainable options to feed and nourish the world.
Microbes have evolved alongside plants and contribute to their growth by helping them efficiently access nutrients and protecting them from pests and diseases. We are plant scientists, microbiologists, synthetic biologists, and data scientists looking to the plant microbiome to develop solutions for today’s farmers.
Our first challenge:
Reducing the amount of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer
Our goal is to reduce the amount of industrial nitrogen fertilizer needed to grow cereal crops like corn, wheat, or rice. This will significantly decrease the fossil fuel used and greenhouse gases produced by agriculture today.
Reducing the amount of industrial nitrogen fertilizer would:
We are plant scientists, microbiologists, synthetic biologists, and data scientists.
Our work leverages the synthetic biology leadership of Ginkgo Bioworks with Bayer’s deep knowledge and experience in crop science and ag biologicals.
