RootMemory delivers bio-fertilisers by binding bacteria to plant roots
StartupRealities No 66
RootMemory is a biochemicals company that develops species-specific bio-fertilisers that use genetically-modified bacteria to bind to the roots of the plants and deliver the nutrients contained in the fertiliser. The bacteria thus serve as an intermediary between the fertiliser and the plant. The company's research is centred on the common rhizobia bacteria, which are known to fix fertiliser in the roots of legume plants. RootMemory develops bacteria that are genetically modified to attach themselves to the roots of other key agricultural plants (such as wheat, rice, bananas). However, the genetically-modified bacteria are not required to fix (generate) nitrogen or other nutrients themselves; they only need to pass on the nutrients from the soil to the root of the given plant species, while not interacting with other species (weeds) at the same time.
PRODUCT
The company sells the (inorganic) fertilisers separately from the species-specific living bacterial culture mix. Farmers have to use the two products together in a fixed ratio when fertilising a field. If too much of the bacterial mix is used, part of the bacteria will remain idle in the soil; while if too much fertiliser is used, some of it will remain in the soil and will nourish weeds.
CEO QUOTE
"Homeopathic medicine relies on the principle of water memory, which is unsubstantiated by science. However, the immune system of animals and humans relies on an imprinting mechanism whereby immune T-cells 'remember' and attack a pathogen if they have been exposed to it previously. RootMemory harnesses a similar process: we task genetically-modified bacteria with developing an affinity for and imprinting themselves onto the roots of a given plant species. And then the easy part is that they have to serve as the intermediary that concentrates and delivers nutrients to the plant's roots." - said company founder and CEO Roos
RootMemory is a biochemicals company that develops species-specific bio-fertilisers that use genetically-modified bacteria to bind to the roots of the plants and deliver the nutrients contained in the fertiliser. The bacteria thus serve as an intermediary between the fertiliser and the plant. The company's research is centred on the common rhizobia bacteria, which are known to fix fertiliser in the roots of legume plants. RootMemory develops bacteria that are genetically modified to attach themselves to the roots of other key agricultural plants (such as wheat, rice, bananas). However, the genetically-modified bacteria are not required to fix (generate) nitrogen or other nutrients themselves; they only need to pass on the nutrients from the soil to the root of the given plant species, while not interacting with other species (weeds) at the same time.
PRODUCT
The company sells the (inorganic) fertilisers separately from the species-specific living bacterial culture mix. Farmers have to use the two products together in a fixed ratio when fertilising a field. If too much of the bacterial mix is used, part of the bacteria will remain idle in the soil; while if too much fertiliser is used, some of it will remain in the soil and will nourish weeds.
CEO QUOTE
"Homeopathic medicine relies on the principle of water memory, which is unsubstantiated by science. However, the immune system of animals and humans relies on an imprinting mechanism whereby immune T-cells 'remember' and attack a pathogen if they have been exposed to it previously. RootMemory harnesses a similar process: we task genetically-modified bacteria with developing an affinity for and imprinting themselves onto the roots of a given plant species. And then the easy part is that they have to serve as the intermediary that concentrates and delivers nutrients to the plant's roots." - said company founder and CEO Roos
 |
| Cross section of barley root (image source: Wikipedia) |
Comments
Post a Comment