Apr 24, 2023

Syngenta, Biotalys partner on sustainable farming, pests

Syngenta Crop Protection and Biotalys are collaborating to research, develop and commercialize new biocontrol solutions to manage key pests in a broad variety of crops.

Biotalys is an agricultural technology company focused on protein-based biocontrol solutions.

The new solution will be based on Biotalys’ AGROBODY technology and will broaden farmers’ access to novel technologies that counter the threat of pest resistance in a broad variety of crops and advance sustainable agriculture, according to a news release.

With resistance development and increasing regulatory and environmental pressures, growers are eager to explore innovative and effective biological solutions that limit the impact on the environment and biodiversity, according to the release. Syngenta plans to work closely with Biotalys as part of its agricultural innovation ecosystem to meet tese critical farmer needs.

In the partnership, Syngenta will collaborate on a research program with Biotalys to leverage its AGROBODY technology platform for Syngenta’s specific insect targets.

“Syngenta is a leader in bringing farmers cutting edge technologies that improve the sustainability of agriculture, and we are excited to work closely with Biotalys as part of our agricultural innovation ecosystem,” Camilla Corsi, Syngenta Crop Protection’s head of crop protection research, said in the releae. “By combining our proven research and development capabilities with the breakthrough protein-based innovations of the Biotalys AGROBODY platform, we are determined to play a pivotal role in addressing critical farmer needs around the globe.”

Biotalys has demonstrated the potential of its protein-based biocontrols to deliver unique modes of actions for effective and safe application in food and agriculture, according to the release. The new partnership allows Biotalys to accelerate the development and global commercialization of crop protection solutions and cement its biocontrol innovation leadership by leveraging the expansive network and capabilities of a global agriculture business, according to the release.

“We are proud and excited to be working with Syngenta, a world-leading agricultural company, on one of the most pressing industry challenges – the development of innovative and effective pest control solutions – by delivering on the promise of our AGROBODY technology,” Patrice Sellès, Biotalys’ chief executive officer, said in the release. “Collaborating with Syngenta is a major milestone in our continued mission to providing growers around the globe with safe, efficient, and more sustainable agricultural solutions.”

No further terms or financial specifics are being disclosed, according to the release.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Syngenta Crop Protection is part of the Syngenta Group. Syngenta Crop Protection develops technologies and solutions that enable farmers to grow productively and sustainably. It offers a portfolio of crop protection solutions for plant and soil health, as well as digital solutions that transform the decision-making capabilities of farmers. Syngenta Crop Protection’s 17,900 employees serve to advance agriculture in more than 90 countries.

Biotalys is an agtech company protecting crops and food with proprietary protein-based biocontrol solutions and aiming to provide alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides for a more sustainable and safer food supply. Biotalys is developing a diverse pipeline of effective product candidates with a favorable safety profile that seeks to address key crop pests and diseases across the whole value chain, from soil to plate, according to the release. Biotalys was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and has been listed on Euronext Brussels since 2021. The company is based in the biotech cluster in Ghent, Belgium.