Flagship Pioneering has announced the launch of Terrana Biosciences, a pioneering company leveraging advanced RNA technology to develop adaptive, targeted solutions for agriculture. With an initial investment of US$50 million, Terrana debuts after four years of platform development, focused on boosting crop resilience, safeguarding yields, and addressing pressing global food challenges.

Terrana’s proprietary RNA platform allows for the creation of next-generation agricultural tools that work harmoniously with a plant’s native biology—without altering its genome. These RNA-based solutions can be applied at various stages throughout a plant’s lifecycle to help crops withstand diseases, pests, and climate-related stressors.

“With Terrana, we are bringing an entirely new dimension of innovation to agriculture through similar RNA technology that we pioneered in human health,” said Noubar Afeyan, PhD, co-founder of Terrana and CEO and founder of Flagship Pioneering. “This platform gives farmers timely, tailored solutions to protect and enhance crops in a changing environment.”

Terrana’s unique approach builds on the plant’s natural use of self-replicating RNAs to influence growth and stress-response traits. Using AI-driven tools, the company has assembled a vast library of native RNAs and developed a powerful design system that can rapidly engineer new plant traits. Proof of concept has already been demonstrated in tomatoes, corn, and soy, with a product pipeline now exceeding 15 candidates across both specialty and row crops.

The company’s first suite of technologies is categorized into three core product classes:

• Prevent: RNA-based products that act like plant vaccines by priming immune responses.
• Protect: Tools for delivering peptides or small molecules to combat active infections.
• Improve: Solutions aimed at enhancing traits such as drought tolerance and heat resistance.

These formulations are intended for use as foliar sprays or seed treatments, integrating seamlessly with current agricultural practices. According to the company, the goal is to empower real-time, responsive crop management using biologically-based inputs from seed to harvest.

“Farmers today face too many decisions based on guesswork and outdated data,” said Ryan Rapp, co-founder and CEO of Terrana. “Terrana enables real-time, responsive crop management with biologically-based solutions that can be deployed from seed to harvest.”

Terrana’s leadership team brings together deep expertise in plant biology, regulatory strategy, and agricultural innovation. Alongside CEO Ryan Rapp, the team includes Matthew Lingard as Chief Technology Officer, Folashade Sabitu as Head of Regulatory, and Ramtin Ahmadi as VP of Strategy and Operations. The board features prominent figures such as Hugh Grant, former CEO of Monsanto, and Amy O’Shea, CEO of Invaio Sciences.

With science at its core and innovation in its DNA, Terrana Biosciences is set to transform agriculture by delivering precision, sustainability, and resilience through the power of RNA.

Source – Flagshippioneering