Switch Bioworks starts US microbial fertilizer trials

Switch Bioworks, a Stanford University originated biotech company based in San Carlos, California that engineers symbiotic microbes for sustainable nitrogen fertilizer, has begun advanced field trials in the U.S. Midwest for its novel microbial nitrogen product, following regulatory authorisation from USDA and EPA.

The “living fertilizer” product uses precision engineered microbes that colonise corn roots, pull nitrogen from the air, convert it to ammonia and release it directly at the root zone, offering a potential alternative to natural gas based nitrogen products.