SBIR Phase I: A novel biocontrol agent against fungal infection and fungal toxin contamination on food and feed crops

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The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project is to introduce a cost-effective way of crop protection from fungal spoilage. Every year, 25% of the food produced by the world is wasted due to fungal infections and contamination of crops with fungal toxins (mycotoxins). The combined social, environmental, and economic global annual cost of this food wastage is $2T. The proposed innovation is centered on harnessing an untapped bacterium to bring a new line of affordable antifungals to a broad base of crop growers across the United States, which are designed to seamlessly integrate with existing preharvest postharvest treatment protocols. The products are quick and easy to manufacture without costly purification procedures. They should be safe for the environment and human health and have a defined mechanism of action. As a result, billions of dollars’ worth of crops, energy, and resources could be saved, leading to increased agricultural sustainability and economic competitiveness of the United States. It may also advance the health and welfare of the American public by enhancing food safety. Finally, it can pave the way for other innovations to combat fungal diseases in plants, animals, and humans.The proposed project will demonstrate the feasibility of the innovation by developing the first product, safeguarding corn crops from fungal spoilage during both preharvest and postharvest. Corn is the most planted crop in the United States. Every year, the corn industry loses $1B due to infection with a fungus (Aspergillus flavus), resulting in contamination of the crop with a carcinogenic mycotoxin called aflatoxin. The critical technical objectives during the project period will be to (1) identify the functional components of the product and demonstrate their mode of action; (2) assess the amounts of those components that can be produced per unit mass of bacterial biomass, (3) determine an optimal formulation of the minimal viable product that can be most effective in preventing fungal infection and aflatoxin contamination in the corn crop, and (4) conduct an optimal toxicity profiling of the minimal viable product. Upon completion, the knowledge obtained will provide valuable insights for effective intellectual protection and regulatory strategy for the products from the technology and identify any potential challenges related to scalability, consistency, and product shelf-life, which will determine the costs and logistics for large-scale manufacturing of the products.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.