CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Invaio Sciences,
Inc., a Flagship Pioneering company focused on unlocking the
potential of the planet's interdependent natural systems to solve
pressing agriculture, nutrition and environmental challenges,
announced today an agreement with the world-renowned Fundecitrus,
Fund for Citrus Protection, located in Araraquara, Brazil.
The agreement focuses on the collaboration to evaluate the use of a
novel natural peptide to control the devastating disease Citrus
Greening (HLB) in Brazilian citrus trees.
The agreement will leverage Fundecitrus' deep expertise in
Citrus grove and pest management to evaluate application details of
the novel peptide maSAMP in locally relevant conditions. The
peptide, developed by Dr. Hailing
Jin of the University of California
Riverside, and licensed for global commercialization by
Invaio, has previously been proven under greenhouse conditions to
reduce the multiplication of pathogen that causes HLB/Citrus
Greening – a severe plant disease carried by an insect called the
Asian citrus psyllid that has dramatically and rapidly threatened
the citrus industry by devastating millions of acres of citrus
crops throughout the world.
Fundecitrus is a non-profit private Brazilian Citrus Industry
Association that works for the interests of the citrus growers and
industry. Founded 44 years ago in the state of São Paulo, the
organization promotes the sustainable development of citrus
production in Brazil. Through its cutting-edge research
facilities, hundreds of hectares of field trials in commercial
orchards, and more than 130 staff and research members, Fundecitrus
has been leading efforts to ensure that Brazilian citrus growers
have access to the latest technologies, techniques, and information
enabling the sustainable production of citrus products.
"Brazil is currently the
largest producer of oranges in the world, with 17 million tons of
the fruit produced annually (21% of global production) and
supplying over 50% of global juice production," explains
Peleg Chevion, President & Chief
Commercial Officer at Invaio Sciences.
Chevion continues, "The collaboration will focus on the
application of Invaio's pioneering technologies to evaluate
efficacy and assess measurable improvements to tree health.
We are already testing the technology in field trials in
Florida and the goal of the
Fundecitrus collaboration is to bring the benefit of this game
changing technology to Brazil, as
well as to other Citrus growing regions, which have already
suffered, or are expected to suffer immense losses from the
devastating effects of the HLB disease."
"We are very pleased to work with some of the world's experts in
HLB management in Brazil, to best
understand how to apply this sustainable and innovative technology
and improve the economic conditions of citrus growers", commented
Avram Slovic, Sr. Commercial
Director of Latin America. "While we understand these studies
are preliminary, we are confident that together with Fundecitrus we
have the right team in place in order to integrate our technologies
with current practices."
About Invaio Sciences:
Invaio Sciences is a multi-platform technology company that
unlocks the potential of the planet's interdependent systems to
address pressing agricultural, nutritional, and environmental
challenges. Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2018, Invaio
leverages discoveries from diverse fields including human
therapeutics, agriculture, environmental science, and advanced
manufacturing. The company's deep understanding of the physiology
of insects, plants and trees, together with its novel integrated
solutions approach, promises to refine agricultural practices and
reduce the need for pesticides globally. Invaio Sciences is
dedicated to developing solutions that are mindful of beneficial
insects, bad for pests, and safer for us all. For more
information, please visit www.invaio.com
About Flagship Pioneering:
Flagship Pioneering conceives, creates, resources, and develops
first-in-category life science platform companies to transform
human health and sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, the firm
has, through its Flagship Labs unit, applied its unique
hypothesis-driven innovation process to originate and foster more
than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in over $80 billion in aggregate value. To date, Flagship
has deployed over $2.3 billion in
capital toward the founding and growth of its pioneering companies
alongside more than $19 billion of
follow-on investments from other institutions. The current Flagship
ecosystem comprises 41 transformative companies, including Axcella
Health (NASDAQ: AXLA), Codiak BioSciences (NASDAQ: CDAK)
Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), Evelo Biosciences
(NASDAQ: EVLO), Foghorn Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FHTX),
Indigo Ag, Inari Agriculture,
Kaleido Biosciences (NASDAQ: KLDO), Moderna
(NASDAQ: MRNA), Rubius Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RUBY), Sana
Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA), Seres Therapeutics
(NASDAQ: MCRB), and Sigilon Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SGTX).
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SOURCE Invaio Sciences