January 26, 2022 (Campinas, SP, Brazil)
Symbiomics, a startup focused on developing next-generation biological products applied to agriculture and the environment, announced today the nomination of Gerhard Bohne as a member of the company’s Advisory Board. With more than 35 years of experience in the agricultural market, Bohne has led operations in organizations in the agricultural sector, having been CEO of Bayer Crop Science Brazil, in the multinational’s agricultural division. Throughout his career, he has accumulated several leadership roles in Brazil and worldwide, holding positions in the areas of R&D, marketing, sales, and operations. He has been acting as an advisor for over 7 years, currently serving as a member of the Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards of emerging companies in the field of biotechnology and agriculture.
Bohne’s nomination is part of the startup’s strategy to leverage its growth and positioning in the market of biological products with disruptive technologies.
“I am very proud to be part of the history of Symbiomics, which is contributing with innovation and research into next-generation biological products to boost the sustainability of agriculture”, Bohne comments.
Bohne will be part of the startup’s Advisory Board, which today already has Paulo Arruda as a member. Arruda is Professor of Genetics at the University of Campinas (Unicamp) where he coordinates major projects in biotechnology, having been co-founder and Scientific Director of Alellyx Applied Genomics, a pioneering Brazilian biotechnology company in applied plant genomics, founded in 2003.
Symbiomics has as founding partners two researchers in the area of study involving the impact of beneficial microorganisms on the development and health of plants, Rafael Souza and Jader Armanhi. The startup focuses on developing technologies based on the interaction between plants and microorganisms to increase crop productivity.
BOOSTING NEXT-GENERATION BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Symbiomics has been working on the next-generation biological products, which are those developed with the most advanced technologies in the field of microbiome. In recent years there has been considerable progress in understanding the interaction between plants and microorganisms, which opened a new market for microbiome-based products. The global market for products based on microorganisms for agriculture is expected to reach over US$ 11 billion by 2025. In Brazil, this is one of the fastest growing sectors in agriculture, with a rate above 30% in the last year.
Advanced genomic sequencing techniques and data analysis have shown that microbial communities associated with plants, the so-called microbiome, have a direct impact on plant yield. Sets of bacteria and fungi help plants to absorb nutrients present in the soil, tolerate drought events, protect themselves against pests and diseases, among other activities. These attributes significantly contribute to reducing the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and emissions of harmful gases to the environment.
Despite this great advance, few products have been launched using this type of knowledge and technology. Symbiomics has been committed to solving this problem by translating the latest information in the field of microbiome studies, gene editing, and data analysis into robust and innovative products for the market.
“We are excited to count on the expertise of great agricultural market leaders such as Gerhard. We are sure that his strategic vision and positioning on the agricultural market will be of great value to accelerate the consolidation of Symbiomics technologies in the market”, adds Rafael de Souza, co-founder of the startup.
The addition of Gerhard Bohne to the Symbiomics’ Advisory Board strengthens the company’s commitment to becoming a worldwide reference in the market of biological products, developing innovative products and technologies.
ABOUT SYMBIOMICS
Symbiomics is a biotechnology startup focused on the development of high-performance biological products containing efficient microorganisms for multiple applications in agriculture and the environment. Symbiomics’ unique platform features the most advanced tools in microbiome, gene editing, and data analysis to isolate and select the best microorganisms for biotechnological application. These products are being developed to increase crop productivity in a sustainable way. Learn more at: www.symbiomics.com.br.
