Phytoinitiator mRNAs as a Game Changer in Agriculture
Rethinking Growth
Unlocking nature’s resilience: phytoinitiator mRNAs empower plants to thrive in deserts, saline soils, and harsh climates—no gene editing required.
Author: Anne Lakmanaarachchi, PhytoAR Biotechnologie
Global warming, pollution, and climate change are the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Nature is a powerful ally in the fight against these global crises, but many regions of the world, from parched deserts to polluted industrial sites, offer little chance of survival for many beneficial plants. However, a new technology promises to overcome these obstacles and allow plants to thrive under extreme conditions and stress. Could this innovation have the potential to solve our environmental problems?
Imagine it was possible to grow plants in extreme conditions: in barren deserts or saline soils. Normally, seeds and even adult plants react very cautiously and wait for better conditions, which in these cases are unlikely to occur. The addition of phytoinitiators, which include phytoinitiator-mRNAs extracted from newborn chloroplasts of germinating seeds, enables the plants to grow and thrive despite the almost impossible conditions. The plants behave as they did on the day of germination, ignoring the stress they are actually under. This has nothing to do with gene modification; the unmodified phytoinitiator-mRNA extracted from the chloroplast of the seedling is used.
Plant Growth Under Extreme Conditions
Chloroplasts, known for their role in photosynthesis, are significantly involved in the synthesis of several plant hormones and enzymes, especially those that play a role in stress and defense reactions as well as in growth. By adding phytoinitiators, we give plants the ability to act efficiently and thus ensure their survival.
By adding phytoinitiators, we give plants the ability to act efficiently and thus ensure their survival.
Phytoinitiators are like an insurance policy because they provide an optimal defense mechanism against hostile conditions. This applies to organically activated processes (OAPs), where plants actually have to contend with difficult conditions such as extreme heat, drought, poor soil etc. But it also applies to primary stress reduction (PSRs), where plants have optimal conditions but still do not perform as desired. Both processes can be controlled with the phytoinitiators and optimally tested in field trials.
The principle investors, Anne and Don Lakmanaarachchi, believe that this is just the beginning of a new breakthrough in plant growth technologies: “Despite the incredible
success of plant growth using phytoinitiator-mRNAs, we are still at the very beginning of unimagined possibilities.”
In the face of advancing climate change, it is clear that sustainable innovations could fundamentally change not only the environment but also the economy. A revolutionary product at the molecular level that allows plants to grow under extreme conditions could become a crucial tool—not only in the fight against global warming but also as a driver of economic growth and social stability.
Increased Yields in Previously Untapped Regions
A major advantage of this technology is the possibility of expanding cultivation areas and enabling high-yield harvests on soils and in climate zones that were previously considered uncultivable. Regions that are currently unusable for agriculture due to drought, soil salinization, or extreme temperatures could become economically attractive thanks to this technology. The development of such areas means an enormous increase in production without additional pressure on fertile arable land — a real expansion of global agricultural capacities.
Climate-related crop failures cost the agricultural industry billions every year. A product that makes plants more resilient can minimize crop failures and thus counteract the financial risks. This not only reduces losses but also increases planning security for agricultural companies and farmers. Investments in this technology could help to keep food supplies and prices more stable in the long term, which is beneficial for everyone involved along the value chain.
More Sustainable Production and Resource Efficiency
The ability to grow plants in extreme environments reduces the need for scarce resources such as water and fertilizers. This efficiency is not only an economic advantage but also has an environmental impact: Reduced water consumption and lower fertilizer loads mean less pollution and less strain on ecosystems. The sustainable dimension of this technology is a key advantage for companies that are increasingly focusing on environmentally friendly and “green” innovations.
The introduction of such a product would enable the development of new markets — especially in countries with difficult growing conditions. This technology could become a central component of growth strategies by appealing to new customer groups that were previously restricted due to their environmental conditions. Targeted marketing to regions and countries with severe climatic challenges could not only promote sales growth but also strengthen a group’s market position and brand image.
The ability to grow agricultural products even under difficult conditions could help to improve food security globally and thus promote political and social stability. Markets and countries that traditionally rely on food imports could secure part of their own supply, reducing dependency and the risk of price fluctuations. This stability is also beneficial for global corporations, as it makes long-term investments and sales markets more predictable and stable.
Conclusion and Outlook
A product that allows plants to grow in extreme environments could revolutionize agriculture worldwide. For large corporations, such a technology offers enormous economic potential and competitive advantages. From increasing yields in inhospitable regions to stabilizing food prices and reducing environmental impact, the introduction of such an innovation could not only increase sales and market share but also actively contribute to overcoming global challenges. At a time when sustainability and food security are becoming increasingly central issues, this product is the key to successful and future-oriented business development.
From increasing yields in inhospitable regions to stabilizing food prices and reducing environmental impact, the introduction of such an innovation could not only increase sales and market share but also actively contribute to overcoming global challenges.
The first product based on phytoinitator technology will be ready for the EU market in mid-2026 due to the lengthy and complex development process. PhytoAR has patented a new mRNA technology called AEM2 technology, which is based on AEM2 mRNAs for the growth of plants in microgravity (in the gravity of the ISS, Mars and the moon). A matrix of special group of mRNAs from seedling leucoplasts has been successfully configured. This matrix generates an alternative for the gravity requirement in the cell membrane of the plant, what is called “pseudo-gravity”. This behaves as an alternative to the earth’s gravity so that auxins, an important plant growth hormone responsible for controlling root and shoot development, can be evenly distributed in the plant in microgravity. This is achieved by the localization of PIN proteins along the cell membrane, which enable a structured auxin flow even without gravity. The potential of this innovative technology is not yet foreseeable. The AEM2-mRNA matrix offers infinite possibilities for configuration, even targeted to specific applications. As this field is still untouched, it opens up a completely new area of research. The trend towards environmentally friendly and biologically based technologies is expected to increase further in the coming years. As research progresses, new areas of application could be opened up, ranging from food production and environmental remediation to the development of sustainable agriculture in space.
Author
Anne Lakmanaarachchi, COO, PhytoAR Biotechnologie GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Image | ©PhytoAR Biotechnologie
