2024 “Crop Protection Solution of the Year” | AgTech Breakthrough
Renaissance BioScience, a leader in yeast bioengineering, has been selected as the winner of the “Crop Protection Solution of the Year” award in the fifth annual Global Awards program conducted by AgTech Breakthrough, a market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies, innovations, and products in today’s global agriculture and food technology markets.
In the area of global agricultural crop protection, Renaissance has developed and is commercializing through collaborative partnerships the world’s first yeast-based RNA interference (RNAi) precision biopesticide platform technology that can be individually customized to target many different pests. This technology offers a sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides by targeting specific essential genes in the pest of interest with precision and efficacy.
“The Renaissance team is thrilled to be awarded AgTech Breakthrough’s 2024 Crop Protection Solution of the Year for our revolutionary yeast-based RNAi biopesticide technology,” says Dr. John Husnik, Renaissance’s CSO and Office of the CEO. “Our Renaissance environmentally friendly solution is elegant and precise and can be applied to develop unique biopesticides targeting many different pest species. It also addresses important RNAi challenges such as the ability to manufacture at scale, durability, efficacy, and cost. We think it’s a novel and innovative tool for creating the best crop protection solutions possible. This recognition from AgTech Breakthrough is an important affirmation of our technology’s potential, and we look forward to creating more innovative biopesticides for growers and producers worldwide.”
“Renaissance’s RNAi technology is straightforward yet powerful,” says Bryan Vaughn, AgTech Breakthrough’s Managing Director. “Almost 40% of annual crop production is lost due to pests with billions of dollars also lost due to invasive insects. More effective — yet environmentally friendly — pest management strategies and solutions are needed to address this type of crop destruction. Renaissance’s ‘plug and play’ system harnesses the power of yeast as an innovation engine to address these challenges. The company’s advanced bioengineering platform is shaping the future of sustainable agriculture and industrial biotechnology. Congratulations on winning ‘Crop Protection Solution of the Year!’”
RNAi Biopesticide Platform Technology Can Precisely Target Many Different Pests
Renaissance’s platform technology can be used to express specific RNAi bioeffector molecules in yeast strains. Target sequences for different pests of interest can be developed and inserted, resulting in the ability to create customized and unique strains. These strains are inactivated prior to product formulation and can be manufactured at scale for low cost. The biopesticide can be seamlessly integrated into traditional crop protection application processes, helping to streamline adoption by farmers and agricultural industries worldwide.
The biopesticide product is applied to the crop plants using traditional application methods. Once the inert yeast is consumed by the target pest, the RNAi bioeffectors are released inside the insect, effectively silencing the target genes and killing the pest. Any residual yeast degrades in the environment without harming humans, plants, or other insects. One initial pest successfully targeted using this platform is the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), a notorious threat to the global potato industry due to its accumulated resistance to many pesticides. The company’s customized yeast strains are a practical, sustainable solution for large-scale agricultural use, and Renaissance is actively working with industry leaders to develop innovative crop protection solutions for other devastating pests.
