“Fungal diseases are a major threat to soybean production, causing more than $4 billion of crop losses per year in the U.S. alone,” Jeffrey Staub, founder and chief scientific officer of Plastomics, says in a news release. “With support from USB, we will use our chloroplast delivery technology to make soybeans that are resistant to economically important soybean fungal diseases.”
He says the company wants to leverage technology to create a “competitive advantage for U.S. soy growers.”
Tech at work
Plastomics will work in collaboration with Dilip Shah, associate member at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, on the project. Shah is well-known for his research into fungal diseases that infect plants. Both Plastomics and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center are located in the 39 North Innovation District. READ MORE