Renaissance BioScience Corp., a global leader in yeast bioengineering, announced a new project funded by Genome BC to adapt its RNA interference (RNAi) biopesticide technology for soil-dwelling crop pests, starting with wireworms. This marks a significant expansion from the company's previous focus on above-ground insect pests.
Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles, are among agriculture's most destructive pests, damaging crops like potatoes, root vegetables, corn, and cereals worldwide. They spend up to five years underground, feeding on seeds, seedlings, and roots, making them difficult to control with conventional methods. The project aims to develop a precision biopesticide targeting Agriotes species of wireworms, which cause substantial losses in Europe, North America, and other key markets.
Renaissance's technology uses yeast to produce and deliver double-stranded RNA that silences essential genes in target pests. The challenge lies in protecting the RNA in the soil environment and ensuring ingestion by wireworms. Combined with advanced formulation technologies, the yeast-based delivery platform aims to overcome these barriers. By identifying conserved genes across multiple Agriotes species, the company hopes to create a product effective against more than one species.
Dr. John Husnik, co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Renaissance BioScience, highlighted the strategic importance of the project. "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," he said. "Beyond developing a solution for wireworms, this project will help determine how our yeast-based RNAi platform can be successfully extended to soil-dwelling pests. If successful, 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. Successfully extending the technology below ground would represent a significant platform advance, offering new opportunities across multiple crops and markets while supporting the demand for environmentally sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides.
Genome BC, a not-for-profit organization that has advanced genomics research for 25 years, is providing the funding. "This support from Genome BC recognizes the tremendous potential of precision biological technologies to transform sustainable agriculture," 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."
For more information about Renaissance BioScience, visit www.renaissancebioscience.com. For more information about Genome BC, visit www.genomebc.ca.
