Micropep is spotlighting Krisalix, its proprietary artificial intelligence-driven discovery engine that identifies bioactive micropeptides designed to protect crops naturally.
With Krisalix, Micropep says it is accelerating the development of next-generation crop protection solutions that are inspired by nature and offering new modes of action, meeting both the needs of farmers and the demands of regulators.
“Micropep’s peptide technology opens new possibilities for the produce industry by providing precision, residue-free biosolutions that protect fruits and vegetables from disease and pests without compromising safety or quality,” says Mikael Courbot, chief technology officer for Micropep. “Through our AI-powered Krisalix platform, we can now design these bioactive molecules in months rather than years, making environmentally-friendly, tailored solutions with expanded application windows for specialty crop production not only feasible but scalable.”
Krisalix leverages generative AI, predictive models, high-quality experimental data in biology, chemistry, bioproduction, as well as critical agronomic expertise to accelerate the identification and optimization of micropeptides as active ingredients, the company says. This new iterative platform accelerates the research and development process, reducing discovery timelines and costs, bringing products to market faster, according to a news release.
By leveraging generative AI and machine-learning models trained on extensive biological datasets, Krisalix enables the in-silico generation and screening of millions of peptide sequences. This approach allows Micropep to identify effective, stable, safe and bioproducible peptides in a significantly accelerated time frame, materially reducing the need for traditional in-vitro screening and thereby shortening development timelines and lowering costs, the company says.
Micropep says its first AI-designed biofungicide product, MPD-01 — based on an antimicrobial peptide — validated this approach in 2021. Today, Micropep’s AI capabilities extend to the discovery of new modes of action across indications, including bioherbicide, biofungicide and bioinsecticide, through Micropep’s PPI (protein-peptide interaction) technology. This includes protein structure prediction, peptide binder generation and AI- driven narrowing from millions of candidates to a few dozen for in-planta screening.
MPD-01: A Benchmark for Krisalix’s Capabilities
MPD-01 serves as a compelling benchmark for the power and potential of the Krisalix platform, the company says. It is a micropeptide-based solution designed to control major fungal diseases such as Asian soybean rust, mildews and late blight.
Currently, MPD-01 is undergoing field trials in Europe, the U.S. and Latin America, and is being prepared for regulatory submission. MPD-01 exemplifies how Krisalix can generate real-world, field-ready innovations that meet both agronomic and environmental expectations, the company says.
Today, Micropep says more than 10 peptide-based candidates are progressing through the Krisalix research pipeline, addressing both broad-acre and high-value crops, and further validating the platform’s versatility and impact.
In addition to its internal pipeline, Micropep offers access to Krisalix through a hybrid business model that includes collaborative research and development programs and out-licensing of candidate molecules.
Krisalix’s transition to commercialization is highlighted by a recently signed joint research agreement with Corteva Agriscience.
“This commercial agreement underscore’s Micropep’s commitment to collaborative research and our ambition to position Krisalix as a reference platform in agricultural research and development,” says Micropep CEO Georg Goeres. “It enables our partners to co-design proprietary bioactive ingredients with clear objectives, speed and data-driven precision.”
