Partnerships Focus On Sustainable Crops

Biology is the common tool in three new ventures targeting sustainable agriculture. Synthetic Genomics, a start-up founded by J. Craig Venter, has joined forces with the Mexican investment firm Plenus to form a company called Agradis. Agradis, which raised $20 million in initial funding, will commercialize genetic advances in food crops, as well as crop protection and plant growth products based on microorganisms. Scotts Miracle-Gro and Marrone Bio Innovations have signed an agreement to research biopesticides for the lawn and garden markets. And DuPont will partner with AgraQuest to develop and distribute a new biopesticide based on the microbe Bacillus pumilus.