Author: Fatma Kaplan

We are excited to report that Pheronym was granted a patent in Brazil for Pherocoat™. This is in our second patent family to control plant parasitic nematodes. Last year, the US patent for Pherocoat was granted “Pheronym Granted Patent for Plant-Parasitic Nematode Biocontrol Breakthrough – EIN Presswire)”.

Pherocoat for Plant Parasitic Nematodes (PPNs): A Sustainable Solution to Combat $173 Billion in Annual Crop Losses.

There is a real, pressing need for sustainable alternatives to manage PPNs, and this new patent for Pherocoat validates our technology for use against these destructive pests in Brazil, which is a global leader in the adoption of biologicals. It highlights our commitment to providing nematode pheromone solutions to markets around the world. With our patents in place for both of our products, Nemastim™ and Pherocoat, we will now move towards commercialization of these impactful methods to manage agricultural pests by controlling nematode behavior in the global markets.

Pherocoat is a patented pheromone solution for the destructive nematodes (PPNs). PPNs are roundworms that feed on plant roots, sapping the plants’ energy and reducing yield. The pheromone mixture changes the behavior of the PPNs, redirecting them away and deterring them from the crop plants. The pheromone mixture will be used for seed treatments, in-furrow applications, or in irrigation water to protect plant roots from infection.

Pheronym’s first patented product, Nemastim, is also a pheromone product that works on other beneficial nematodes. Beneficial nematodes are microscopic roundworms used as biocontrol agents for soil insect pests. Nemastim, a pheromone mixture, makes these beneficial nematodes better biocontrol agents for managing insect pests by controlling nematode dispersal and infectivity behavior.

Since nematode pheromones are not commercially manufactured, Pheronym is the first to develop a scalable bio-manufacturing method to produce nematode pheromones. The company has successfully transitioned its bio-manufacturing from proof-of-concept to production by fermentation in bioreactors. Pheronym plans to scale its manufacturing processes further to bring Nemastim and Pherocoat products to the market within a year.

I am presenting at the member symposium “EntoTech: Navigating Careers and Cutting-Edge Technology in Entomology” Entomology 2024.

The title is “How do you decide to launch an agbiotech start-up?”

Join me on Nov 13 in Phoenix, AZ.

I am honored to be invited as a guest speaker by From Farms to Incubators with UC Merced AI Climate Change Project. Join me to learn more about “Discoveries in the lab sustainable solutions in the field” on Thursday, November 7, from 3 to 4 p.m. Pacific Time (6 to 7 p.m. EST). See the flyer below for instructions on how to join the webinar.

 

Pherocoat™ for Plant Parasitic Nematodes (PPNs): A Sustainable Solution to Combat $173 Billion in Annual Crop Losses

WOODLAND, CA, UNITED STATES, August 28, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Pheronym^®, an ag-biotech pest management company, has been granted its second US patent, this one focused on plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) biocontrol. The patent for Pherocoat™ will help address the pressing need for a natural, non-toxic approach to PPN control. According to The Fight against Plant-Parasitic Nematodes: Current Status of Bacterial and Fungal Biocontrol Agents, PPNs pose a major threat to food security and plant health, with estimated annual global economic losses $173 billion. Up until now, chemical control with synthetic nematicides has been the most effective strategy to manage PPNs, but due to their environmental toxicity, and considerable legislative pressure to restrict them, they are progressively being phased out.

Keep reading Pheronym Granted Patent for Plant-Parasitic Nematode Biocontrol Breakthrough – EIN Presswire (einnews.com)

Pheronym’s 2023 -2024 undergraduate interns were two women from the University of California (UC) Davis. Hanna Briggs was a third-year undergraduate student from the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. She found her training very complementary to her summer internship at UC Davis.

Willow Jungling was a fourth-year undergraduate student at the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. As soon as she graduated in the summer of 2024, she was offered a full-time salaried position at Oobli, which Willow credits to the laboratory skills she learned at Pheronym. Willow’s interview was hands-on laboratory skills. At Oobli, they were so impressed with her laboratory research skills during her interview that she was hired immediately. She was asked “Where did you learn your laboratory research skills?” She said, “I learned everything at Pheronym.”

Our interns tell us the research experience and professional development they received during their time at Pheronym helped them in their careers. We are always happy to watch our interns grow and follow their wonderful career news.

We are looking for NSF REU interns for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. Here is the application link: Intern: Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Pheronym (gusto.com)

My presentation is titled “Biocontrol for interstellar agriculture: studying insect-killing worms on the International Space Station.”

Join me on June 18 at the GLEX Summit special session “SOE’24 Women in Exploration: Breaking Boundaries“. SOE’24 – Space, Ocean, and Earth Insights – is organized by INESC TEC.

This work was also published: Dynamics of entomopathogenic nematode foraging and infectivity in microgravity | npj Microgravity (nature.com)

The devastation that drought, flood, extreme hot and low temperatures and freezing caused by climate change does not need much explanation for how to protect ourselves or our food source.

Global warming does a lot more than just extreme weather conditions. It causes a whole lot of little changes which don’t seem so important by themselves, but together they can be just as destructive as the extreme ones. At the Excellence in Insect Science Symposium at Michigan State University, I learned how those small changes together threaten our food security, health, and environment. Follow the link to read some examples.

I am honored to be a Biodiversity Panelist among the amazing scientists at the Excellence in Insect Science Symposium organized by the Michigan State University Department of Entomology.

So what do you want to know about the future of Arthropods & Health, Insects as Food, Biodiversity, Agriculture & Plant-Insect Interactions, Increasing Diversity & Access, and Science Communication & Outreach? Share your questions here: https://lnkd.in/gvbK5Ntd

The symposium will take place on May 16-17, 2024 in East Lansing, MI at the Kellogg Conference Center, 219 S Harrison Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824.  Link to registration.

Pheronym’s Fifth Peer Reviewed Study Shows Nemastim™ Significantly Improves Nematode Efficacy Against Pecan Weevils, Even in Colder Weather 

WOODLAND, CA, UNITED STATES, February 29, 2024– Pheronym®, an ag-biotech pest management company, announced today the results of their fifth peer-reviewed study, this one focused on the efficacy of the company’s Nemastim™ on improving beneficial nematodes’ ability to control pecan weevils.  Featured in the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, the study entitled, “Enhancing Entomopathogenic Nematode Efficacy with Pheromones: A Field Study Targeting the Pecan Weevil” describes the increased efficacy in insect control, even when temperatures dipped unexpectedly below 10 degrees centigrade, levels that reduce the effectiveness of beneficial nematodes.  Successful biocontrol practices are a key strategy in reducing chemical pesticide use and promoting climate-resilient and regenerative agriculture.   Keep Reading.

Pesticides’ carbon footprint is massively underestimated. We need better metrics for innovative technologies.

Crop protection does not have one big bad wolf pesticide like fertilizers’ nitrogen. According to phys.org (1, 2) “Manure and synthetic fertilizers emit the equivalent of 2.6 gigatons of carbon per year -more than global aviation and shipping combined.” For impact and climate investors going after one big problem with a significant impact is a no brainer. Calculating reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in terms of gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is easy because there are many publications and market reports available for climate and impact investors (3). Nitrogen alone cannot solve agriculture’s carbon emission problem because the bigger problem, crop protection, is overlooked and underestimated.

Crop protection has many medium size wolves which collectively create more CO2e emissions than nitrogen. Furthermore, GHG emissions produced by pesticides are massively underreported for the following reasons (4). Keep reading