Ginkgo Bioworks announced the extension of its multi-year strategic partnership with Bayer to accelerate the research and development of innovative biological solutions for agriculture. Building on a collaboration that began in 2017, the two companies will continue advancing microbial nitrogen fixation technologies designed to complement synthetic fertilizers and support more sustainable crop production. Bayer will retain the rights to commercialize the resulting products.

Bayer remains a key partner in Ginkgo Bioworks’ growing agricultural biologicals platform, which includes the company’s dedicated Agriculture Biologicals Research & Development site in West Sacramento, California. Ginkgo’s platform supports discovery and optimization efforts across biological crop protection, nitrogen fixation, and carbon sequestration, aiming to identify next-generation tools that deliver meaningful benefits to growers.

“The future will bring increasingly severe challenges for farmers, and we will best meet these challenges together through an open innovation ecosystem,” said Dr. Mike Graham, Head of R&D for Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “When complemented by leading seeds and traits, digital tools, and chemical crop protection, biologicals can help growers achieve better outcomes by offering solutions that enhance and, in some cases, provide alternatives to traditional chemistry-based approaches.”

Ginkgo Bioworks continues to expand its agricultural partnerships with the goal of developing scalable biological solutions across diverse crops and regions. In addition to Bayer, the company collaborates with various organizations to advance biological product discovery, performance, and commercial readiness.

“Ginkgo is committed to harnessing advanced biological tools to deliver innovative solutions for growers working at the forefront of food production and global food security,” said Michael Miille, General Manager of Ginkgo’s Agriculture Business Unit. “We look forward to continuing our work with Bayer and other forward-thinking partners, as well as welcoming new collaborations to our agricultural biologicals platform.”