Key Takeaways:
- Ginkgo Bioworks and Bayer extend multi-year collaboration focused on developing microbial nitrogen fixation technologies.
- Partnership builds on a successful collaboration launched in 2017, with Bayer retaining commercialization rights.
- Ginkgo’s agricultural biologicals platform continues to expand, with research efforts centered in West Sacramento.
- Collaboration supports innovation in nitrogen fixation, biological crop protection, and carbon sequestration.
Partnership Extension Strengthens Focus on Sustainable Agriculture
Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) announced an extension of its multi-year strategic partnership with Bayer to continue advancing research and development of biological products for agriculture. The collaboration, which began in 2017, focuses on developing microbial nitrogen fixation solutions designed to complement traditional synthetic fertilizers.
Under the renewed agreement, Bayer retains exclusive rights to commercialize biological products resulting from the partnership, building on the successful progress of the initial collaboration phase.
Advancing Agricultural Biological Innovation
Bayer remains a key partner in Ginkgo Bioworks’ growing agricultural biologicals platform, which includes the company’s dedicated Agriculture Biologicals R&D facility in West Sacramento, California. This site serves as a hub for discovery and lead optimization in areas such as nitrogen fixation, carbon sequestration, and biological crop protection.
“The future will bring increasingly severe challenges for farmers, and we will best meet these challenges together with leading innovators from around the world through the open innovation ecosystem,” said Dr. Mike Graham, Head of R&D at Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “When complemented by leading seeds & traits, digital tools, and chemical crop protection, biologicals can help growers achieve the best results in their fields by providing increased options that complement, and provide alternatives to, traditional chemistry-based solutions.”
Expanding Platform for Global Agricultural Impact
Through its platform technologies, Ginkgo Bioworks is working to accelerate the development of agricultural biological solutions across crops and geographies. The company aims to address diverse market needs through partnerships that enhance productivity and environmental sustainability.
“Ginkgo is committed to the power of advanced biological tools to deliver innovative products for growers at the forefront of food production and food security worldwide,” said Michael Miille, General Manager of Ginkgo’s Agriculture Business Unit. “We look forward to continuing our partnerships with Bayer and other innovative companies, and to bringing on new partners to Ginkgo’s agricultural biologicals platform.”
Ginkgo and Bayer Building the Future of Agricultural Sustainability
The extended partnership between the two companies underscores the growing importance of biological innovation in modern agriculture. By leveraging synthetic biology and microbial engineering, the collaboration seeks to reduce dependency on synthetic fertilizers while supporting more resilient and sustainable food systems for farmers around the world.
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