Last week, I visited a greenhouse where scientists are testing how different microorganisms can make agriculture crops grow productively in difficult conditions. The greenhouse is in Cambridge, MA, the home of startup Symbiota, a company hatched by and backed with $7.5 million from Flagship Ventures.
In one spot, for example, scientists in white lab coats were growing small pots with wheat to see how well microbially treated plants withstand water stress. “This is the equivalent of clinical trials in humans,” Symbiota president and co-founder Geoffrey von Maltzahn says, pointing to the pots.
The idea here is to use the biology of microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, to enhance plant yields. Although it’s still in development, this technology—the rough equivalent of taking probiotic supplements to aid digestion—has attracted big agriculture companies Monsanto and Novozymes through the BioAg Alliance, as well as venture-backed scientists.