By Abbas Nazil
Pivot Bio is transforming agriculture with its microbial nitrogen technology, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic fertilizers.
The company has developed genetically engineered microbes that attach to plant roots, feeding on root sugars and delivering nitrogen precisely when needed.
This innovation reduces nitrogen runoff, curbs greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances sustainability in farming.
Traditional nitrogen fertilizers, produced using the Haber-Bosch process, have long been the foundation of modern agriculture.
However, this method is highly energy-intensive, consuming about 1-2% of global energy and emitting nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas that harms the ozone layer.
Additionally, excessive nitrogen use leads to runoff that pollutes water bodies, damaging marine life and contaminating groundwater.
Pivot Bio’s microbial solution addresses these issues by replacing up to 40 pounds per acre of synthetic nitrogen, making crop production more sustainable.
The company’s engineered microbes colonize plant roots and produce nitrogen throughout the plant’s life cycle, reducing the inefficiencies of conventional fertilizers.
This approach ensures nitrogen availability at critical growth stages while preventing environmental damage.
Farmers applying Pivot Bio’s products—available in liquid and powder form—have seen improvements in crop yield and soil health.
These products have been widely adopted for crops such as corn, wheat, barley, and oats, covering millions of acres of farmland across the U.S.
Pivot Bio’s origins trace back to a challenging period in the career of co-founder Chris Voigt. As an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco, Voigt struggled to establish his lab and secure funding.
In 2008, he joined a University of California, Berkeley research group working on photovoltaic materials.
When a senior researcher withdrew from the project, Voigt stepped in and contributed an ambitious genetic engineering proposal.
However, the proposal faced harsh criticism from reviewers, nearly prompting him to leave academia.
Paul Ludden, then dean of UC Berkeley’s School of Science, recognized potential in Voigt’s work. He suggested redirecting his gene-swapping approach to nitrogen fixation, a long-sought goal in agriculture.
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Ludden’s support led Voigt to collaborate with postdoctoral researcher Dehua Zhao and fellow scientist Karsten Temme.
Their groundbreaking research, published in 2011, gained recognition within the nitrogen fixation community.
In 2010, Voigt joined MIT, where he continued developing his ideas. The success of their research led Voigt, Temme, and another Berkeley researcher, Alvin Tamsir, to co-found Pivot Bio.
The company focused on obtaining regulatory approval by modifying DNA within the same microbial species rather than introducing foreign genes.
This approach simplified the approval process and allowed for quicker adoption.
Pivot Bio officially launched its first commercial products in 2019, distributing them through independent seed dealers.
The company ensured ease of use for farmers by providing its microbes as a soil-applied liquid or a dry seed coating.
These microbes form a symbiotic relationship with plants, sustaining nitrogen fixation throughout the growing season.
Unlike synthetic fertilizers, which are often lost to runoff, microbial nitrogen remains stable in the soil, minimizing environmental impact.
The company has also introduced the N-Ovator program, which connects corporations with farmers implementing sustainable practices.
Through this initiative, businesses purchase nitrogen credits, compensating farmers for reducing synthetic fertilizer use.
Recognized by *Time Magazine* as one of the top inventions of the year, the program has already disbursed millions of dollars to farmers.
Pivot Bio’s microbial nitrogen technology is gaining traction beyond the U.S., with expansion efforts underway in Kenya, Brazil, and Canada.
The company is also developing solutions for other crops, including cotton, and exploring ways to enhance microbial efficiency.
Looking ahead, Pivot aims to address additional nutrient deficiencies in crops, further revolutionizing sustainable agriculture.
By shifting away from synthetic fertilizers, Pivot Bio is pioneering a new era of farming that prioritizes environmental stewardship, economic viability, and food security.
With ongoing research and a growing global footprint, the company is positioned to make a lasting impact on agricultural sustainability.
