Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) has officially extended its multi-year strategic partnership with Bayer, aiming to bolster research and development in biological products for agriculture. This partnership, which initially began in 2017, will allow both companies to build upon the successes of their ongoing collaboration focused on innovative microbial nitrogen fixation. Bayer will maintain its rights to commercialize the resulting biological products alongside synthetic fertilizers in the coming years.

Bayer remains a significant partner within Ginkgo Bioworks' expanded agricultural biologicals platform, which includes Ginkgo's Agriculture Biologicals Research & Development site located in West Sacramento. Ginkgo's discovery and lead optimization platform is designed to support collaborations in biological crop protection, nitrogen fixation, and carbon sequestration, all aimed at identifying next-generation technologies that provide tangible benefits to growers.

"The future will bring increasingly severe challenges for farmers, and we will best meet these challenges together with leading innovators from around the world through the open innovation ecosystem," said Dr. Mike Graham, Head of R&D at Bayer's Crop Science Division. He added, "When complemented by leading seeds & traits, digital tools, and chemical crop protection, biologicals can help growers achieve the best results in their fields by providing increased options that complement, and provide alternatives to, traditional chemistry-based solutions."

Ginkgo Bioworks is dedicated to advancing agricultural biological solutions across various crops and regions through platform technologies that meet diverse market demands. The company will also continue to engage independently with different partners in the discovery and optimization of biological products for agriculture.

"Ginkgo is committed to the power of advanced biological tools to deliver innovative products for growers at the forefront of food production and food security worldwide," stated Michael Miille, General Manager of Ginkgo's Agriculture Business Unit. "We look forward to continuing our partnerships with Bayer and other innovative companies, and to bringing on new partners to Ginkgo's agricultural biologicals platform."