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 initiative marks the company's first effort to target pests that live below the soil surface, a fundamentally different challenge from its previous focus on above-ground insects.
Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles, are among agriculture's most destructive pests, damaging crops like potatoes, root vegetables, corn, and cereals. They can live underground for up to five years, feeding on seeds and roots, making them difficult to detect and control with conventional methods. Renaissance aims to develop a precision RNAi biopesticide targeting Agriotes species, which cause substantial losses in Europe, North America, and other regions.
The project will leverage Renaissance's yeast-based delivery platform, which protects RNAi molecules in harsh soil environments and promotes ingestion by wireworms. By identifying conserved essential genes across Agriotes species, the company hopes to create a targeted solution effective against multiple species with a single product. "Wireworms are one of agriculture's most challenging insect pests," said Dr. John Husnik, co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer. "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."
This development builds on Renaissance's existing RNAi portfolio for above-ground pests and could establish a foundation for future products targeting soil-dwelling insects. Success would represent a significant platform advance, supporting the demand for sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides. Genome BC's support underscores the potential of precision biological technologies in transforming agriculture. For more information, visit Genome BC and Renaissance BioScience.
