AlternOx Scientific and PBL Technology Announce Strategic Partnership to Commercialise Crop Protection Breakthrough
By: James Andrews
Last updated: Friday, 11 October 2024
, a pioneering biotech spinout from the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ, has entered a strategic partnership with , a leader in promoting plant, food, and microbial science intellectual property.
The collaboration aims to support the commercialisation of AlternOx’s innovative antifungal agents, which have the potential to solve a major challenge in modern agriculture – crop-destroying fungi that can become resistant to traditional fungicides.
AlternOx Scientific, led by Professor Anthony Moore and his team at the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ, has developed a new class of antifungal agents that target the alternative oxidase (AOX) pathway; a critical respiratory mechanism in fungi and microbial pathogens.
“Fungal infections destroy over 125 million tonnes of the world’s top food crops annually, costing global agriculture more than $60 billion,” said Professor Moore, Chief Scientific Officer at AlternOx. “Our AOX inhibitors represent a breakthrough approach to crop protection by offering a solution to strobilurin resistance while also enabling the development of next-generation fungicides, anti-microbial agents and herbicides.”
As an authority in the commercialisation of cutting-edge biotech, PBL Technology will support AlternOx in bringing this breakthrough technology to market. Owned by the John Innes Centre, the Sainsbury Laboratory and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, PBL brings vast experience across agricultural science, and will help to engage development partners.
The ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ has played a pivotal role in the development of this technology, which stems from Professor Moore’s study of the alternative oxidase over a 50-year academic career. The University’s Innovation and Business Partnerships team, as well as its business incubator Sussex Innovation, have been involved in securing the necessary funding and support to bring the technology to this stage.
Sasha Roseneil, Vice Chancellor of the University, emphasised the importance of this collaboration: “AlternOx’s success is a testament to the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s commitment to fostering world-leading research and innovation. This partnership represents a significant opportunity to have a lasting impact on global agriculture and food security, aligning with the University’s ongoing focus on research that supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”