NEMATODES IN SPACE

PHERONYM WINS GRANT FOR ECO -FRIENDLY PEST CONTROL FOR INTERSTELLAR AGRICULTURE

Bio-Remediation Solution Will Improve Agriculture on Earth and Beyond

ALACHUA, Florida and DAVIS, California – June 21, 2018 – Pheronym, a bio-ag-tech pest control company, has received the Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership Award for its nematode focused pest control solution.   The $300,000 award will help the company conduct field tests of its proprietary eco-friendly solution with a variety of produce to determine its efficacy for use by astronauts in the future colonization of the Moon and Mars, as well as for applications here on earth.

“It might seem strange that you might need pest control in outer space – but you can’t 100% eliminate the risk of contamination,” said Dr. Fatma Kaplan, CEO of Pheronym.  “Nematodes, also called roundworms, are present in every ecological niche and infect insects, plants, and humans. Our ability to manage and control them will increase the chance for successful agriculture whether it’s on Mars or here on Earth.”

“Pheronym’s innovative approach to bio-remediation is cost-effective, practical and friendly to the environment and humans,” said Tony Gannon of the Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership Awards.  “We see amazing benefits to improving agriculture here on Earth and are hopeful the solution can be just as effective for agriculture in space as we begin to explore our solar system and beyond.”

About Pheronym

Pheronym is an ag-biotech pest control company which enables pesticide-free farming.  The company’s bio-remediation process uses a new pheromone to control plant-parasitic nematodes (microscopic roundworms) as an eco-friendly way and also to eliminate pest insects.  Learn more at https://www.pheronym.com.

About the Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership Award

The Florida‐Israel Innovation Partnerships program purpose is the promoting of greater R&D in Aerospace and related technologies. Eligible R&D Projects must stimulate generation and development of new or significantly improved products or processes for commercialization in global markets.  Learn more at http://www.spaceflorida.gov/page/call-for-projects.

Links to Press release at EIN Preswire

Links to Space Florida-Israeli Partnership Press Release

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