Renaissance BioScience Receives Genome BC Funding to Extend RNAi Biopesticide Platform to Target Soil-Dwelling Crop PestsRenaissance BioScience Corp., a global leader in yeast bioengineering providing solutions for environmental and industrial challenges in the agriculture, food, animal and human health, and energy industries, has announced a new Genome BC funded project to extend the reach of its yeast-based RNA interference (RNAi) biopesticide technology from above-ground insect pests to target soil-dwelling crop pests, beginning with destructive wireworms. The project will advance the development of a precision biopesticide against wireworms and represents a significant new application for the company’s proprietary RNAi technology. Opening the Door to Below-Ground Pest ControlRenaissance has successfully focused its RNAi technology on insect pests that feed on plant foliage. Wireworms are the soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles and are among agriculture’s most persistent and destructive insect pests, damaging dozens of economically important crops. He added, “Beyond developing a solution for wireworms, this project is strategically important because it will help determine how our yeast-based RNAi platform can be successfully extended from leaf-feeding insects to also target soil-dwelling pests.