The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Innatrix Inc. $175,000 on September 30, 2025, under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to develop an RNA interference-based seed treatment for soybean cyst nematode control.
Innatrix is creating a stable powder formulation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to be applied as a seed treatment that targets and disables specific nematode genes essential for infection. The approach aims to provide farmers with an environmentally safe, cost-effective alternative to resistant varieties, crop rotation, and chemical pesticides, which have become less effective or carry environmental or economic drawbacks. The project encompasses formulation development, seed treatment application methodology, and greenhouse efficacy testing, with the goal of delivering protection at the crop's early growth stage.
Work is performed in Cary, North Carolina, with a period of performance ending May 7, 2026. This Phase I SBIR award demonstrates technical feasibility and validates the commercial potential of the innovation ahead of possible Phase II funding.