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Agriculture Daily Summary

Agriculture Daily Summary: What Happened on October 15, 2026

Switch Bioworks and Bayer explore biological nitrogen fixation

A separate study tested an engineered bacterial strain in 30 plant species.

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Today in brief

Switch Bioworks and Bayer Crop Science will explore Switch’s genetic-switch technology, initially focusing on biological nitrogen fixation.1 In a separate study, researchers tested Rhizobium rhizogenes strain AS109 in 30 plant species and found it enabled transient expression across multiple crop groups.2

Also worth knowing

  • In grow-room studies, Switch’s programmed microbes produced five times as much nitrogen as control strains that produced it continuously. Switch says its microbes activate nitrogen production after establishing on roots.1

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    AS109 enabled transient expression in six of eight tested Fabaceae species, including faba bean, but not soybean or mung bean. Researchers also used the strain for functional assays in faba bean.2