Renaissance BioScience Corp., a 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 destructive wireworms. The initiative aims to develop a precision biopesticide against wireworms, representing a significant extension of the company's proprietary RNAi platform, which has previously focused on above-ground insect pests.
The project addresses a fundamentally different technical challenge: protecting RNAi molecules in the soil environment and ensuring their ingestion by pests that live below ground. Renaissance's yeast-based delivery platform, combined with advanced formulation technologies, is designed to overcome these barriers. Wireworms, the soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles, are among agriculture's most persistent and destructive pests, damaging crops such as potatoes, root vegetables, corn, and cereals globally. They can live underground for up to five years, feeding on seeds, seedlings, roots, and tubers, making them difficult to detect and control.
The research will focus on developing a targeted RNAi biopesticide against Agriotes species of wireworms, which cause substantial crop losses in Europe, North America, and other key agricultural markets. By identifying essential genes conserved across two Agriotes species, Renaissance aims to create a solution capable of controlling multiple species with a single product.
“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,” said Dr. John Husnik, co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Renaissance BioScience. He added that the project is strategically important for determining how the yeast-based RNAi platform can be extended from leaf-feeding insects to soil-dwelling pests, opening 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, enabling future products targeting a broad range of economically important soil-dwelling insects and larvae. This would support the growing demand for environmentally sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides.
“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.”
Genome BC, a not-for-profit organization that has advanced genomics research for 25 years, has attracted over $1.1 billion in direct co-investment to British Columbia, funding more than 600 genomics research projects. The organization supports responsible research and innovation in genomics, aiming to deliver sustainable benefits for the province and beyond.
Based in Vancouver, Canada, Renaissance BioScience Corp. develops innovative, market-ready functional microorganisms to address environmental and industrial challenges in agriculture, food, nutrition, and animal and human health. More information about the company and its technologies can be found at www.renaissancebioscience.com. Details about Genome BC are available at www.genomebc.ca.
