An Innovative Startup can Reduce Post-harvest Crop Loss using Green Technology

One of the global challenges in terms of food waste is that over one third of fruits and vegetables are lost during the process of moving fruits and vegetables from farm-to-fork. One of the major reasons for these losses are fungal pathogens that make crops unusable. Presently, the common practice to treat fungal and other pathogens on fruits and vegetables is by using chemical solutions, which have a detrimental effect on the environment, human health, and food quality. Therefore, there is a need for a green solution that can reduce crop losses and extend shelf life while significantly improving food security and reducing food waste.

The novel startup,HarvestR, was established to generate novel and green solutions to protect crops and fruits and vegetables post-harvest. HarvestR’s solution is based on SIGS (Spray Induced Gene Suppression) used to treat fungal pathogens. The product, based on dsRNA (Double Stranded RNA), penetrates the pathogen and disrupts specific gene expression crucial for the formation of fungal membranes. The treatment controls a specific disease and has been likened to “crop vaccination”, with no genetic changes made to the crops or to the general microbial population. The advantages of dsRNA technology is that it negates the need for chemicals harmful to the environment and human health, avoids the issue of fungal species developing resistance, and allows for a specificity that keeps important and helpful microbes. The company will target the agrochemical market, estimated at $280 B a year and specifically the fungicide market estimated at $17 B a year.

HarvestR came about as a result of a collaboration between Gal Admati, a serial entrepreneur, working with the InNegev Incubator, and researchers Dr. Noam Alkan, in whose lab the technology was developed together with Dr. Danielle Duanis-Assaf, in collaboration with Dr. Elena Poverenov from the Volcani Institute, and Prof. Robert Fluhr from the Weizmann Institute of Science. The agreement between the companies was signed between the commercial arms of the Weizmann Institute of Science – Yeda, Volcani Institute – Kidum, and InNegev which will incubate HarvestR. Gal Admati will be the CEO of HarvestR and Dr. Yael Bar Lavan serves as the company’s head of R&D. Dr. Noam Alkan and Prof. Robert Fluhr will continue to consult and support HarvestR, along with Arnon Columbus-InNegev CEO, Jacob Mualem Marom-Kidum CEO, Prof. Benny Chefetz-Head of Volcani Institute, Dr. Pankaj Chowdhary-Researcher at Volcani, and Dr. Elena Poverenov-Researcher at Volcani.

Jacob Mualem, Kidum CEO: “We believe that establishing a new startup based on dsRNA technology will enable reduction of crop loss due to fungal rot, shelf-life extension of fruit and vegetables, reduce food waste and thus improve the cost of living. Additionally, the technology will reduce the use of detrimental chemicals. We believe that the technology will also provide solutions for fungal pathogens in pre-harvest applications.”

Credit:Volcani institute