Development by Robigo: microbes as an alternative to chemical pesticides

The annual expenditure of the global agricultural sector on pesticides amounts to 80 billion dollars. Traditional chemical plant protection agents have a negative impact on beneficial insects, soil bacteria, and the environment, and are also associated with risks to human health. At the same time, biological alternatives are often inferior to chemicals in terms of effectiveness, which forces farmers to choose between environmental safety and high yield.

Robigo, a company co-founded by Andee Wallace (PhD ’20), applies CRISPR and RNA interference methods to modify natural microbes. Unlike other biological solutions, the company’s technology is focused on using stable, industry-proven microorganisms capable of surviving in various types of soil. The developed ARGO platform allows microbes to multiply independently and produce bioactive molecules throughout the entire growing season.

In field trials conducted in five states on soybean and lettuce crops, the use of Robigo microbes showed results comparable to leading chemical pesticides. In one instance, the application of the system led to a 250% increase in yield compared to another commercial biological product. The RNA interference "stacking" technology allows for the combination of several types of impact in a single microbe to combat a wide spectrum of pathogens.

Currently, the company is scaling production and developing partnerships with representatives of the agrochemical industry. The developers' goal is to provide agricultural producers with effective tools that ensure a balance between high productivity and the environmental safety of the food system.