MOVE
-Modules for Optimized Viability and Efficacy of RNA pesticides-
Challenges in Agriculture
Humanity transitioned from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural societies, establishing stable lives and communities. Modern agriculture is socially and economically essential, and pesticides significantly contribute to stabilizing harvests by controlling pests and diseases. From ancient sulfur to chemical pesticides like DDT in the 1940s, and now environmentally friendly biopesticides have become widespread. Modern pesticides are used safely under strict regulations, preventing losses of 78% of fruits, 54% of vegetables, and 32% of grains. However, to maintain sustainable agriculture, new technological innovations are required for three reasons.(see the right side)
RNA pesticide
RNA pesticides are agricultural agents that utilize RNA molecules designed to suppress gene expression in specific pests or pathogens.The primary mechanism involves RNA interference (RNAi).
Benefits of RNA Pesticides
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High Specificity
Targets only specific genes in the target organism, minimizing impacts on non-target species.
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Environmental Safety
Degrades more rapidly than chemical pesticides, resulting in lower environmental impact.
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Resistance Management
Can address pesticide-resistant pests by targeting different genes.
Why Aren't
RNA Pesticides
Widely Used Yet?
Despite this promising new technology, RNA pesticides have not yet been widely implemented in the real world. Despite the efforts of many companies and researchers, including other iGEM teams, working on RNA pesticides, there are currently only four or five RNA pesticides approved worldwide.
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Short Efficacy Duration
Current RNA pesticides degrade rapidly, lasting only about four days in the field.
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High Operational Costs
Frequent applications increase labor, fuel consumption, and soil compaction.
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Economic Inefficiency
Despite low manufacturing costs, the total usage cost surpasses that of traditional pesticides due to these factors.
Our Solution MOVE
-Modules for Optimized Viability and Efficacy of RNA pesticides-
We introduce MOVE a groundbreaking approach to overcome these hurdles and bring RNA pesticides into practical use.
Encapsulating shRNA in a Membrane Vesicles
To extend the effective duration of RNA pesticides, we encapsulate shRNA using PIA-MVP . This method enhances the stability and longevity of the RNA molecules, ensuring prolonged effectiveness against pests.
Surface Display
We display functional proteins on the surface of membrane vesicles using the SpyCatcher-SpyTag system and scaffold proteins. This allows us to enhance pesticide functionality flexibly, such as increasing adhesion to plants or targeting specific pathogens.
Feature
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Modularity
The MOVE project possesses high modularity, allowing for rapid and flexible modification of RNA sequences and the surface proteins of lipid bilayer membranes (MV) according to the targeted pests and pathogens. This enables the design and implementation of RNA pesticides optimized for various agricultural environments and control targets.
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Reduction of Production Costs
The continuous production technology using PIA-MVP is well-suited for large-scale manufacturing and can significantly reduce production costs. PIA-MVP efficiently produces membrane vesicles (MVs) without killing the cells by supplying glucose in a method that selectively biosynthesizes double membranes.
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Environmental Friendliness
Our product is safe and eco-friendly because genetically modified organisms are not released from the laboratory. MOVE is has minimal impact on both the environment and human health. This makes it an ideal solution that can be readily accepted even in markets with strict environmental regulations.