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

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

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised