New VIB incubator gives agbiotech start-ups a chance to flourish
In mid-2021, research institute VIB will open its brand-new agbiotech incubator. The new complex will provide entrepreneurs with access to high-tech facilities to work on sustainable agricultural innovations, like solutions to make plants more resistant to drought. The incubator will be housed in the former CropDesign site of multinational BASF in Nevele, Belgium.
Inari: shaking things up in the agriculture business
Inari Agriculture has been awarded the 2020 Newcomer of the Year Trophy by Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT). Inari (US) opened its first foreign R&D branch in Ghent’s biotech valley just over a year ago. Since then, the Belgian team has been hard at work developing plants that can address both growing global food requirements and climate change. They’re approaching the challenge with both the latest genetic techniques and with a fresh perspective on how a business should be run.
V-Bio Ventures invests in RootWave in a EUR 6.5 M Series A financing to develop and market electrical weed killing solutions
Ghent (Belgium), 20th of January 2020 – Today V-Bio Ventures announces its investment in RootWave, a pioneer in electrical weed killing solutions. RootWave secured ca. EUR 6.5m in a Series A investment round led by V-Bio Ventures (Belgium) and Rabo Food & Agri Innovation Fund (Netherlands), and joined by impact fund Pymwymic (Netherlands) and existing shareholders including Yield Lab Ireland. The proceeds will enable RootWave to expand commercialisation of its RootWave Pro, a professional hand-weeder for spot weeding and treating invasive species, integrate its technology into automated agricultural weeders, and conduct further research into novel electricity-based weed killing applications.
Mining the microbiome for sustainable agriculture solutions
In this month’s article we take a look at Aphea.Bio, a V-Bio Ventures portfolio company. This startup is developing microbiome products for improved crop growth and pest protection, using state-of-the art technology.
Solving food waste one StixFresh sticker at a time
Food waste is a major global issue exacerbated by premature fruit spoilage. A US company, StixFresh, is working together with VIB-KU Leuven Prof Patrick Van Dijck to develop a solution to the problem. The company has created stickers coated in a plant-based antimicrobial formula that protects fruit from fungal infections, extending their shelf life by several weeks.
A new type of power plants to combat climate change
The prestigious organization EMBO recently announced several new members, including the appointment of VIB-UGent scientist Prof Wout Boerjan. Boerjan joins over 1800 other EMBO members in what is regarded as one of the top honors for European scientists. The appointment is well deserved, with Boerjan’s research focused on the vital task of building a circular […]
Cultured meat, plant-based patties and bug burgers: VCs are backing protein alternatives
When it comes to food, our key sources of nutrition haven’t changed much in the last ten thousand years. Though hyped-up food trends and diets come and go, our ancestors established the status quo for our primary protein sources a long time ago: animal products, like dairy, eggs and meat, have been the staples ever since we switched from hunters to farmers. However, with rising global populations driving sky-high demand for animal products, is it time for another food revolution?
Inari’s agricultural revolution hits Europe with a new site in Ghent
Inari, a U.S. company revolutionizing agricultural R&D, have just opened up their first overseas office in Ghent, Belgium. Partnering with Belgian life sciences and agriculture institutes VIB and ILVO, Inari aims to take advantage of the local talent and resources in their efforts to increase water and nitrogen-use efficiencies in crops such as maize, soy […]
What’s next for CRISPR crops in the EU?
Genetically Modification Organisms (GMOs) is one of the most hotly debated topics in the news today. Resistance to GMOs has in the past been huge and strict regulations have followed. In July this year, the topic made headlines yet again when the European Court of Justice ruled that organisms obtained using modern forms of mutagenesis, […]
Can weeds be programmed to exterminate themselves?
Walking through a forest on a breezy September day, the very air seems to crackle with colour and life. The irony is, of course, that as you walk through trees with golden, crimson leaves, the vast majority of the plant material surrounding you is, in fact, dead. Plants have a complex way of regulating the […]
Cycling for Science
Researchers from Ghent University have been able to map the effects of climate change thanks to images of the Tour of Flanders. By studying 36 years of footage of the popular cycling race, the researchers have discovered that trees along the route have started blooming earlier in the last few decades, indicating rapid climate change […]
Big data, big produce – Trends in agri-biotech
In the last few decades, with the introduction of GMOs, the agricultural industry was turned upside down. Major consolidations between companies took place, while sustainability and big data have become ever more important. BioVox had a conversation on the most important trends within the agri-biotech sector with Johan Cardoen, Managing Director of VIB, and with […]
WHO report ranks deadly diseases in need of drugs
The World Health Organization recently released a report outlining the imminent threat of antimicrobial-resistant diseases. In the midst of such doom and gloom, could a solution be found in our own backyards? Scientists are turning their attention towards medicinal plants for future drug research and development. By Amy LeBlanc Superbugs, failing antibiotics and deadly diseases: […]
Politicians should consider the consequences of not deploying GM technology
Genetic modification (GM) technology can offer solutions so that farmers can more efficiently grow crops with less environmental impact. Despite many GM crops being developed in Europe, none of them have reached European farmers. This is largely due to the procedure of getting GMOs approved. While it is sensible that we ask ourselves whether there […]
Engineering compounds to protect crops from drought
Every year, more crops are lost to excessive heat and drought worldwide. Researchers have strived to find an affordable and safe protection method. Ghent University Professor Chris Stevens has brought that goal within reach. His lab has synthesized a new compound that has the ability to make plant stomata close, preventing water evaporation. He has […]