Renaissance BioScience Corp., a leader in yeast bioengineering, announced a new project funded by Genome BC to adapt its yeast-based RNA interference (RNAi) biopesticide technology from above-ground insect pests to target soil-dwelling crop pests, beginning with destructive wireworms. This project represents a significant expansion of the company's proprietary RNAi platform and could lead to new precision biopesticides for an entirely new category of agricultural pests.
Wireworms, the soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles, are among agriculture's most persistent and destructive insect pests, damaging crops such as potatoes, root vegetables, corn, and cereals. They live underground for several years, feeding on seeds, seedlings, and roots, making them difficult to detect and control with conventional methods. The project will focus on developing a precision RNAi biopesticide targeting Agriotes species of wireworms, which cause substantial crop losses in Europe, North America, and other key agricultural markets.
Renaissance has successfully focused its RNAi technology on insect pests that feed on plant foliage. The wireworm project represents the company's first effort to adapt its hardy, yeast-based RNAi protection and delivery technology to pests that live and feed below the soil surface. This presents a fundamentally different technical challenge, as the soil environment can degrade RNAi molecules. Combined with advanced formulation technologies, Renaissance's yeast-based delivery platform will protect RNAi in the challenging soil environment while promoting ingestion by wireworms, overcoming key barriers to effective soil-applied RNAi biopesticides.
"Wireworms are one of agriculture's most challenging insect pests because they spend up to five years as larvae below ground, where conventional control options are limited," said Dr. John Husnik, co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Renaissance BioScience. He added, "Beyond developing a solution for wireworms, 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. Wireworms are just the beginning. If we can successfully adapt our technology for below-ground pests, it opens the door to developing precision biopesticides for an entirely new range of economically costly agricultural pests."
The wireworm program builds on Renaissance's growing portfolio of RNAi-based crop protection technologies. Because the underlying RNAi yeast platform has already demonstrated promise against above-ground pests, Renaissance believes this project could establish the foundation for future RNAi products targeting a broad range of economically important soil-dwelling insects and larvae. Successfully extending the technology below ground would represent a significant platform advance, opening new opportunities across multiple crops and agricultural markets while supporting the growing demand for environmentally sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides.
"This support from Genome BC recognizes the tremendous potential of precision biological technologies to transform sustainable agriculture, and we appreciate their support and vision," added Dr. Husnik. "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."
Genome BC is a not-for-profit organization that has advanced genomics research and innovation for 25 years. For more information, visit www.genomebc.ca. Renaissance BioScience Corp. is a global-leading yeast bioengineering company. For more information, visit www.renaissancebioscience.com.
