AgroSavfe receives a € 1.9 million grant from IWT to support research and development of AgrobodiesTM for controlling fungal diseases of potato and tomato GHENT, May 30, 2013 – AgroSavfe announces that it will receive a € 1.9 million grant (ca. USD 2.4 million) from IWT, the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders. The grant will support R&D activities on Agrobody-based crop protection products to control fungal diseases on potato and tomato. AgroSavfe is establishing the Agrobody™ technology platform to develop novel formulations that improve performance and sustainability of crop protection products. AgrobodiesTM are derived from camelid heavy chain antibodies that are stable and can be cost-effectively produced in large volumes. These qualities, together with the ease of generating Agrobodies™ with desired affinity and specificity, make them highly suitable for agrochemical formulations. The Agrobody™ technology platform allows for a rapid and efficient selection of Agrobodies™ that bind to leaves, seeds and fruits to prevent and control weeds, pests and diseases. Agrobodies™ can be used in formulations to improve retention and to target crop protection products to the site of action, thereby enhancing performance, or reducing application dosages or application frequencies. AgroSavfe is conducting several R&D projects to explore the potential of the AgrobodyTM technology platform. Marnix Peferoen, CEO of AgroSavfe says: “We are extremely pleased with the IWT funding. First of all, it is a strong endorsement of the AgroSavfe concept to develop AgrobodyTM-based crop protection products. The funding itself will support a 2 year project on AgrobodyTM-based control of late blight disease (Phytophthora infestans) and grey mold disease (Botrytis cinerea) on potato and tomato, respectively”. Typically, control of late blight on potato requires weekly applications of fungicides during major part of the growing cycle. AgroSavfe develops AgrobodiesTM that will improve retention of fungicides to potato leaves and provide extended control of late blight disease, thereby reducing the number of fungicide applications and the overall fungicide use. Botrytis cinerea affects many plant species and is a serious disease on grapes, strawberries and vegetables. As Botrytis is infecting through dead plant tissue, AgrobodiesTM are being selected that allow targeting of fungicides to those parts of the plant that are most susceptible to Botrytis, thereby reducing application dosage and residues while preserving performance. The KU Leuven Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics – Plant Fungus Interactions (CMPG-PFI) group of Prof. Bruno Cammue will conduct all pathogenic studies and the Spray Tech Group of ILVO leaded by Dr. David Nuyttens will develop setups for application and retention studies of AgrobodyTM-based crop protection products. About AgroSavfe AgroSavfe is a novel VIB spin-off and raised EUR 5 million from a strong consortium of investors (Gimv, Gimv-Agri+, Madeli Participaties, Biovest, PMV, SOFI, QBIC and VIB). AgroSavfe employs its proprietary AgrobodyTM technology platform to develop superior crop protection products, based on active ingredients with proven efficacy, in combination with AgrobodiesTM as formulation agents. AgrobodiesTM directed against crop produce, leaves, seeds, pests or particular structures thereof enable targeted delivery and retention of the active ingredient at or near its site of action. Targeted delivery and improved retention of AgrobodyTM-based crop protection products allow for reduced application dosage and for extended performance with reduced application frequencies. AgrobodyTM-based crop protection products are designed to have superior characteristics over conventional crop protection products with respect to increased performance, improved sustainability and enhanced convenience for the grower and safety for the consumer. AgrobodiesTM are protected as composition of matter by an extensive portfolio of granted patents and a growing number of pending patent families are covering diverse applications of AgrobodiesTM in crop protection. AgroSavfe will develop AgrobodyTM-based crop protection products either in-house or through partnerships with agrochemical companies. Contact Marnix Peferoen, CEO [email protected] +32 + 9 261 0691 About the partners : KU Leuven CMPG-PFI and ILVO Spray Tech Group The CMPG-PFI group headed, by prof. Bruno Cammue, conducts internationally recognised research on plant defence mechanisms against pathogenic fungi (including tomato - Botrytis cinerea a model pathosystem) and on the working mechanism of antifungal compounds. In this IWT-supported R&D project, the CMPG-PFI group will study the fungicidal effects of the various AgrobodyTM-based prototypes on Phytophthora infestans and on Botrytis cinerea. The Spray Tech Group of the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries research (ILVO), headed by Dr. David Nuyttens, is an internationally recognised scientific research group dealing with innovative pesticide application technologies and all related aspects. Their expertise will be used to evaluate and optimise the application, foliar retention and rain-fastness of the AgroSavfe AgrobodiesTM in potatoes.