Cooperative Agreement 5866044003F4

Silvec Biologics Inc. was awarded a $174,964 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a proprietary process to control fungi using RNA interference. The SBIR program aims to support scientific innovation to build a strong national economy. Under the award, Silvec will pursue four key objectives through January 2023. The company will identify small interfering RNAs compatible with...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Biological Sciences program provides $500,000 from March 2024 through February 2027 to researchers at the University of Maryland and Silvec Biologics, Inc. to develop methods to stabilize RNA genomes in viruses that can be used as therapies to treat plant diseases. The project aims to use computational approaches, including artificial intelligence, to design RNA structures that can be inserted into virus genomes to increase...

Nanosur LLC, a minority-owned biotechnology company, received a $649,999 project grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program to develop RNA interference (RNAi)-based insecticides for controlling invasive insect pests in agriculture and forests. The grant, awarded on September 1, 2023, supports Nanosur's work to create selective,...

This $315,000 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrative Activities (IA) program supports research at Auburn University on the use of branched amphiphilic peptide capsules (BAPCs) for delivering double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a targeted biopesticide. The goal is to explore how variations in the size, charge, and composition of these BAPC nanomaterials can optimize the effectiveness, stability, and environmental safety of dsRNA-based pesticides. The project...

This $104,015 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) supports research at Florida A&M University to integrate transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to examine peanut stress tolerance mechanisms. The project aims to uncover the molecular pathways underlying peanut's cross-tolerance to simultaneous drought stress and fungal pathogen infestation, which can impact aflatoxin production and food safety. A $75,000 sub-award...

The Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station was awarded a $636,646 Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) competitive grants program. The grant will fund research to develop a novel and sustainable nanoparticle platform for delivering effective and prolonged supplies of double-stranded RNA molecules in plants. Specifically, the Station will synthesize three...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded Napigen Inc. a $175,000 Project Grant under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to develop rice plants with herbicide resistance genes integrated into the mitochondrial genome. This innovative approach aims to prevent the transfer of herbicide resistance to weeds through pollen, addressing a major challenge for rice farmers globally. Napigen's proposed project...

Federal Grant Award Summary The Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station received a $299,544 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Program (CFDA 10.310), effective February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2028. This research initiative addresses critical gaps in the application of RNA interference (RNAi) technology as a defense mechanism against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a fungal pathogen that significantly impacts soybean...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Cooperative Agreement award to Silvec Biologics Inc. provides $994,939 in funding to develop novel RNA therapies to immunize grapevines, citrus trees, and other agricultural crops against deadly bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The key objectives are to: (1) optimize small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium that causes olive quick decline syndrome, Pierce's disease in grapes,...

Grant Award Summary Texas A&M AgriLife Research received a $749,951 Project Grant award on December 15, 2025, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), CFDA 10.310, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The three-year project (completion date: December 14, 2028) addresses pest management in cotton production through molecular biotechnology. The research will generate and characterize stably transformed cotton lines...