"Oifirax, created by GreenLight Biosciences, uses RNA molecules to kill the fungus responsible for powdery mildew on grapes"
"Grape growers in Mexico have a new tool to fight powdery mildew, a common fungal disease, after the country became the first in the world to approve the commercial sale of an RNA-based biofungicide.
Oifirax, developed by the U.S. company GreenLight Biosciences, uses RNA molecules to silence a gene essential for the survival of the disease-causing fungus Erysiphe necator. The Mexican government announced the product’s commercial approval on 12 August, following a 9-month regulatory process involving the country’s health, agricultural, and environmental authorities.
for Science
“It was a surprise,” says agronomist Mario Serrano of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who, like many experts in the field, was not aware that the Mexican government was considering approving this new technology for agricultural use. The decision, he says, “is scientifically and economically positive for the country.”"
