Pluton Biosciences Gets $6.6M in Seed Funding, Bayer AG Soil Deal and More
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Pluton is a large body of intrusive igneous rock according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and “breaking ground” and being “ground breaking” is just what Pluton Biosciences is doing with their novel microbes. They are making discovery of novel microbes not only possible, but commercially viable. And news just came in that Pluton Biosciences raised $6.6 million in seed round funding, they signed a soil microbe research agreement with Bayer AG, and they advanced a bacteria development through a Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator.
In today’s Digest, what the $6.6. million means for Pluton Bioscience, the story behind their research agreement with Bayer AG, their progress through the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator, and more.
The background
Before we get into the $6.6 million in seed funding, the Bayer AG agreement, and their latest developments, let’s look at what Pluton Biosciences does. Founded in 2017, Pluton Biosciences quickly and inexpensively taps into the diverse world of bacteria, fungi and viruses to discover next-generation products for carbon sequestration, agriculture, pharmaceutical, biomaterials and bioremediation. Their Micromining process generates diverse commercialization options, including:
- Organisms (biological products)
- Small Molecule Chemistries (fermentable and non-fermentable)
- New Traits (scale dependent)
Their revolutionary Micromining Innovation Engine empowers the Pluton Biosciences team to discover novel microbes in months, not years, using a fraction of the staff employed by other laboratories.
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Just a few weeks ago came news that Pluton Biosciences is collaborating with global life sciences company Bayer AG to investigate the development of an all-natural, microbe-based carbon-capture soil amendment for growers.
Collaborating with Bayer, Pluton will use its Micromining Innovation Engine to identify and develop microbes currently found in soil that can store carbon and nitrogen. Pluton’s proof-of-concept research predicts that such a consortia of microbes, applied in a spray at planting and harvest, can scrub nearly two tons of carbon from the air per acre of farmland per year, while replenishing nutrients in the soil.
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Land management is the second largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions in the world. Researchers estimate that farming through the ages has unearthed roughly 133 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere. Through photosynthesis, plants convert carbon dioxide from the air to produce energy. Plants deposit carbon in the soil through their roots, while releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. When growers disturb the soil during planting and harvest, the carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere.
Long-term carbon storage in the soil can reduce atmospheric carbon and enhance food production systems to benefit the world. Carbon sequestration also benefits the grower by reducing nitrogen inputs, improving soil health and diversity, suppressing natural disease and providing potential carbon market income. READ MORE
