University of Illinois Three-year Study Confirms PROVEN® 40 Increases Nitrogen Fixation in Corn

ST. LOUIS and CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A landmark study from the University of Illinois, published in Agronomy Journal, highlights the transformative potential of Pivot Bio’s patented gene-edited microbes as an essential third source of nitrogen for corn production.

Harnessing proprietary gene-editing technology, Pivot Bio’s PROVEN® 40 transforms naturally occurring soil bacteria into efficient nitrogen-fixing factories for corn plants. These innovative microbes deliver an in-season nitrogen supply during vegetative growth stages, when crop demand is highest, enabling farmers to supplement synthetic fertilizers and manure while improving crop consistency and building resilience in their nitrogen management programs.

“Innovation often means embracing complexity, and this study highlights the potential of our microbes as the only gene-edited nitrogen-fixing microbial technology available to farmers,” said Chris Abbott, CEO of Pivot Bio.

“In our nearly 15 years of innovation and over 15 million cumulative acres, we’ve learned a great deal from growers about how and when our technology integrates best into their holistic nitrogen management strategies. This research not only affirms the measurable benefits of PROVEN® 40 today but also provides a foundation for ongoing learning and development. We’re deeply thankful to the researchers at the University of Illinois for their rigorous work in advancing our understanding and placement of these technologies.”

Key Findings from the Research
The University of Illinois research team investigated the effects of inoculating corn plants with Pivot Bio’s gene-edited microbes to enhance nitrogen availability and allow farmers to replace a portion of their synthetic nitrogen applications.

The multiyear study’s findings confirmed this hypothesis, showing:

Enhanced Plant Nitrogen Uptake During Critical Growth Stages: Treated plants exhibited greater nitrogen accumulation, healthier biomass and stronger vegetative growth, particularly during early growth stages, when nitrogen demand is critical.Direct Evidence of Atmospheric-Derived Nitrogen Absorption: A measurable decrease in the isotope 15N in treated plants confirmed that nitrogen fixed by PROVEN® 40 microbes was absorbed by the corn plants.A Reliable In-Season Nitrogen Contribution: PROVEN® 40 delivered up to 35 pounds of nitrogen per acre from the atmosphere during early growth. While nitrogen contributions tapered off later in the season, the product consistently supported crop health and stability during the critical vegetative stage, without compromising yields.

“This work underscores the untapped potential of atmospheric nitrogen in corn production,” said Logan Woodward, a Ph.D. in crop production and lead researcher on the study. “Corn is often limited to soil nitrogen and fertilizer, and one or both of these sources can fail growers in challenging weather conditions. When we applied PROVEN® 40, we observed significant increases in plant nitrogen accumulation, with a measurable portion of that nitrogen derived from the atmosphere. Additionally, these improvements coincided with an increase in kernel numbers, indicating increased nitrogen availability during vegetative growth and a resulting boost in yield potential.”

A New Era of Nitrogen Management
These findings echo results from another peer-reviewed study conducted by Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which demonstrated that farmers using PROVEN® 40 can confidently replace 35 to 40 pounds per acre of the most volatile forms of synthetic nitrogen while achieving the same or better yields at harvest.

“These are very promising results from both studies, particularly for growers who want to build resilience into their nitrogen programs,” said Ryan Van Roekel, Ph.D. “This new tool is helping them manage the risk of unpredictable weather that can lead to significant nitrogen losses. A weatherproof source of nitrogen, delivered on the roots during key growth stages, is a tool for growers to raise both the floor and the ceiling of their yield potential.”

Ryan Van Roekel, who has a doctorate in crop physiology and serves as the commercial agronomy lead for Pivot Bio, was not involved in either study.

Advancing Crop Nutrition Innovation
PROVEN® 40 is backed by more than a decade of research, with validation across 6,147 fields in 34 states, involving over 2,500 farmers. It is supported by 60 patents and 250 pending patent applications and has been extensively tested in trials conducted by more than 20 top universities, including those involved in this latest research.

The University of Illinois study, “Soil inoculation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria to supplement maize fertilizer need,” is published in Agronomy Journal [DOI: 10.1002/agj2.21729]. Agronomy Journal is the flagship publication of the American Society of Agronomy, featuring original research on agriculture, crop science and soil science.

To explore more about the U of I study and its implications, read the full release from the University of Illinois here.

About Pivot Bio
Pivot Bio, one of the world’s leading innovative agtech companies, delivers to farmers patented crop nutrition technologies that harness the power of nature to reliably and productively grow the food the world needs in the face of increasing volatility. Currently available in North America, the company’s products are a breakthrough innovation and one of the agriculture industry’s most promising climate solutions. Pivot Bio has been recognized three times by Time magazine on its annual list of best inventions, by Fast Company on its World Changing Ideas and World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies lists, by CNBC on its Disruptor 50 list of private companies, by Fortune on its Impact 20 list of startups driving social good and by MIT Tech Review as one of 15 climate tech companies to watch. For more information, visit PivotBio.com.

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SOURCE Pivot Bio, Inc

37 Additions to UFLPA Entity List Most Likely to Impact Energy and Textile Industries

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Exiger, the market-leading supply chain and third-party risk AI company, released proprietary research generated by its AI platform 1Exiger examining the impact of the Department of Homeland Security’s recent announcement that 37 entities have been added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List. Exiger’s analysis reveals that the additions are most likely to impact the renewable energy and textile manufacturing industries, resulting in heightened risk of supply chain disruptions and rising costs.

The 37 entities are tied to critical minerals, cotton, and polysilicon used in solar modules from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. The UFLPA mandates that goods produced wholly or partially with forced labor in the XUAR or by entities linked to forced labor are prohibited from entry into the U.S. The DHS’s expansion of the UFLPA Entity List, now totaling 144 entities, reflects continued efforts to combat forced labor and human rights abuses.

Exiger identified 13.1 million shipments involving the newly added UFLPA entities or their direct or indirect subsidiaries since the start of 2024. More than 53,000 unique shippers, 113,000 business relationships and 88,000 unique consignees are associated with these shipments. Of those implicated, consignees are concentrated amongst construction and engineering, specialty retailers and distributors. Shippers are concentrated in textiles, apparel and luxury goods; electronic equipment, instruments and components; and metals and mining.

Exiger’s research also identifies the countries outside of China where shipment entities and consignees are based (Indian, Taiwan and Vietnam), and offers a case study diving deeper into one of the new entities, Huafu Fashion Co. Ltd.

Exiger cautions that industry stakeholders may experience delays due to increased Customs and Border Protection inspections, product or material shortages, strained logistics networks, and increased expenses from logistics and compliance measures. The company continues to monitor vulnerable supply chains and is working with customers to conduct supply chain audits, identify alternative suppliers and enhance due diligence where appropriate.

Exiger’s complete analysis is available at https://www.exiger.com/perspectives/dhs-adds-37-entities-to-uyghur-forced-labor-prevention-act-entity-list/. 

About Exiger
Exiger is revolutionizing the way corporations, government agencies and banks navigate risk and compliance in their third-parties, supply chains and customers through its software and tech-enabled solutions. Exiger’s mission is to make the world a safer and more transparent place to succeed. Empowering its 550 customers across the globe, including 150 in the Fortune 500 and over 55 organizations across the Defense Industrial Base and government agencies, with award-winning AI technology, Exiger leads the way in ESG, cyber, financial crime, third-party and supply chain management and recently achieved FedRAMP® Moderate Authorization. Named one of Fast Company’s 2023 and 2024 ‘Brands That Matter’ and recipient of the Third Party Risk Association’s 2024 Innovator Award, Exiger’s work has been recognized by 50+ AI, RegTech and Supply Chain partner awards. Learn more at Exiger.com and follow Exiger on LinkedIn.

For more information, please contact:
Kody Gurfein
Chief Marketing Officer
1.914.393.0398
kgurfein@exiger.com

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SOURCE Exiger

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Caring Cross and Vector BioMed, Inc. are pleased to announce that Boro Dropulic, Executive Director of Caring Cross and CEO of Vector BioMed, will be speaking at Advanced Therapies Week (ATW) on January 21 and 22 in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Dropulic will participate in three key sessions where he will share his expertise and insights into the future of cell and gene therapies, strategies for improving access, and the commercialization of innovative therapeutics.

Session Details

Plenary Panel: “Innovating for the Future of Cell and Gene Therapies”
Date: January 21, 2025
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 CST
Highlights: Dr. Dropulic will join an esteemed panel to explore challenges and solutions for advancing the next generation of cell and gene therapies.

Panel Discussion: “The CAR-T Story and the Future of Cell Therapies”
Date: January 21, 2025
Session Timing: 13:15 – 14:15 CST
Overview: Delve into the CAR-T journey, including technological advancements and innovations shaping the landscape of cellular therapies.

Workshop: “Transforming Good Science into Sustainable Business: Actionable Strategies for Commercializing Cell and Gene Therapies”
Date: January 22, 2025
Time: 8:00 – 9:00 CST
Format: A hands-on session where Dr. Dropulic will outline pathways for converting scientific innovation into scalable and accessible commercial solutions.

Thought Leadership from Dr. Boro Dropulic

Dr. Dropulic will address pressing issues such as the high cost of CAR-T and other cellular therapies, the importance of point-of-care manufacturing, and the global push to localize development and production:

Reducing Manufacturing Costs: Lowering the cost of materials, particularly lentiviral vectors, is critical to making therapies accessible. Vector BioMed is leading the way, offering GMP-grade lentiviral vectors at approximately half the price of leading alternatives through innovative and efficient manufacturing processes.Point-of-Care Manufacturing: Centralized manufacturing models are costly and inefficient. Distributing manufacturing directly to care facilities can reduce costs and ensure that transformative therapies reach more patients in need.

Global Access: Empowering low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to develop and manufacture advanced therapeutics will address disparities in healthcare access and drive meaningful change. Caring Cross’s initiatives and international networks aim to localize production capabilities and enable affordable treatments for underserved regions.

Caring Cross: Building a Global Network for Advanced Therapeutics

Through its International Affordable Advanced Therapeutics Manufacturing Network, Caring Cross partners with organizations worldwide to enhance point-of-care, low-cost manufacturing of cellular therapeutics. This network promotes equity, inclusiveness, and sustainability by:

Strengthening manufacturing capacity and clinical trial infrastructure.Expanding collaboration and visibility for member organizations.Enabling transparent and responsive manufacturing practices.

By addressing these needs, the network empowers organizations to serve diverse populations and contribute to the equitable development and distribution of lifesaving therapies.

Vector BioMed: Transforming Lentiviral Vector Development and Rapid Production

Vector BioMed continues to expand its development resources and optimize lentiviral vector manufacturing. The company is focused on:

Disrupting traditional workflows to offer cost-effective solutions.Refining vector design during early development for enhanced efficiency.Continuing innovation: Later in 2025, Vector BioMed plans to launch several new products as part of a notable expansion of its premier lentiviral vector platform technology.

With these advancements, Vector BioMed is committed to driving innovation while maintaining an unwavering focus on cost reduction for its clients.

Connect with Caring Cross and Vector BioMed at ATW

Learn more about Vector BioMed’s lentiviral vector services at Vector BioMed.
Discover how Caring Cross is advancing global access to therapies at Caring Cross.

Request a meeting with team members at ATW using the ATW Event App (link), our contact form, or via email at partner@vectorbiomed.com.

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SOURCE Caring Cross