Agradis, a spinout of Synthetic Genomics formed in conjunction with the Mexican investment firm Plenus, is working to develop high yield biofuel crops and microbes to supplement fertilizers and pesticides, reports Technology Review. For biofuels, the company is focused on sweet sorghum and castor plants. "We're looking for fuel crops that don't need prime growing conditions," and thus won't affect food production, says Craig Venter, who is the CEO of Synthetic Genomics and currently serving as Agradis' chair.
Agradis is also licensing a library of plant-associated microorganisms from Synthetic Genomics to try to develop communities of microorganisms that can bolster plant health and prevent disease.