Page 168 - CW E-Magazine (7-1-2025)
P. 168

News from Abroad


       HERBICIDE INNOVATION
       Syngenta and Enko use AI to find novel molecules

       to tackle aggressive weeds


          Switzerland’s  Syngenta  Crop  Pro-                                Ms.  Jacqueline  Heard,  CEO  and
       tection  has  reached  a  new  milestone                           co-founder, Enko, commented, “Weed
       in  its  collaboration  with  US-based                             and pest adaptation to changing climate
       AI-driven  biotech  company,  Enko,  to                            conditions and resistance to on-market
       discover novel weed control molecules.                             products  will  create  a  dearth  of  food
                                                                          in many parts of the world as popula-
          The  collaboration  targets  a  new                             tions  grow.  By  using  our  Enkompass
       Mode  of Action  (MoA),  which  is  the                            platform,  we  can  significantly  reduce
       way the herbicide controls susceptible                             discovery time for new safe crop pro-
       plants. The discovery of new leads tar-  to addressing the challenge of resistant  tection  solutions  and  get  them  into
       geting this MoA was made using Enko’s  weeds  and  ensuring  the  sustainability  the  hands  of  farmers  as  quickly  as
       Enkompass  platform,  which  reduces  of crop protection solutions.  possible.”
       time and cost compared to conventional
       agricultural R&D approaches.        The  collaboration  is  focused  on   The discovery milestone represents
                                         a  new,  plant-specific  MoA  which  is  the  advancement  of  new  molecules,
          Today,  resistant,  aggressive  weeds  part  of  Syngenta’s  “Safer  by  Design”  discovered as part of a multi-year col-
       and many types of grasses are a major  research  strategy  that  aims  to  deliver  laboration between Enko and Syngenta,
       challenge to the health of crops world-  higher yields through more sustainable  to the proof-of-concept phase.  The
       wide. Total crop losses to weeds world-  technologies. The goal is the discovery  weed  control  collaboration  builds  on
       wide  are  estimated  at  $32-bn  a  year.   of novel weed control molecules capa-  the success of fungal control research
       Using new MoAs and different methods of   ble of controlling a broad spectrum of  that  was  announced  earlier  this  year
       controlling the weeds – such as manual  weeds  that  affect  vital  cropping  sys-  and adds new herbicide capabilities to
       weeding or crop rotations – are crucial  tems worldwide.           the alliance.

       Messer begins production a green CO  plant
                                                                               2
       in Czech Republic


          Messer,  a  German  privately  held
       specialist  in  industrial,  medical  and
       speciality gases, has begun operations
       at  a  new  plant  producing  green  CO
                                      2
       at its Vrdy site in the Czech Republic.
          Messer  said  the  new  facility  will
       increase supply reliability for its custo-
       mers, especially in the local food and
       beverage  industry. This  is  particularly
       important during the summer months,
       when  demand  for  carbon  dioxide  for
       soft drinks or for cooling technologies
       is high.

          Messer sources the CO  as raw gas
                            2
       from a local bioethanol producer.

       168                                                                    Chemical Weekly  January 7, 2025


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