Research companies declare war on wine fungi

By Christine Nikiel

Friday 25th January 2002

JIM WATSON: Major hits needed

Two of the country's research firms have teamed up to target the wine industry fungal nemesis, botrytis.

Biotech firm Genesis Research and Development and land management specialist Landcare Research will rival Dunedin-based Botry-Zen, already manufacturing a botrytis control, to find a cure for the crop-destroying grey mould.

But while Botry-Zen have patented a non-pathogenic fungus, also called Botry-Zen, to control the disease, the Genesis-Landcare approach will be genetically focused.

The wine industry spends millions of dollars fighting botrytis, and about $100,000 a year on researching it. Wine Institute statistics show winegrowers spend $200-400 a hectare on botrytis control.

Although fighting the same fungus, Genesis and Botry-Zen said their strategies were totally different, and they were not in competition.

"We'll certainly stay in touch with them though - it might be that our two approaches be complementary," Botry-Zen managing director Max Shepherd said.

But when found, the patent would definitely stay in the hands of Genesis Research, and Landcare, Genesis Research chief executive Dr Watson said.

"Selling patents is like selling family heirlooms," he said.

The joint venture will create a gene library for the Botrytis cinerea fungus, and once set up, the database will be mined to isolate genetic information and find new ways to control the fungus.

The main aim was to develop a control suitable for crop application before harvest.

Dr Watson is confident of successful results, claiming Genesis' research showed the pathway being targeted may also be common to other fungal species leading to further potential uses in controlling fungi in plants animal and human health.

"We'll look at the genetic information Botrytis has and identify a metabiological pathway which will then be used to develop a chemical strain," Dr Watson said.

But Botry-Zen's appeal is that it is an organic product - a major marketing tool overseas, where organics was becoming a large industry.

The company was busy signing up commercial partners in the US, Europe and Australia, and planning manufacturing plants in those countries, as well as expanding its Dunedin plant.

Mr Shepherd said he could not name the companies as legal procedures were still under way.

Botry-Zen commercialised its product, in partnership with Zenith Technologies, in 1999.

The biotech industry has boomed in the past few years, with Otago's Blis Technologies' milk products research company A2 Development Corporation listing on the Stock Exchange, and Botry Zen planning to list on the main board in February.

But Genesis needed to get some firsts in order to increase public awareness, Dr Watson said.

"We need to get a few major hits, and get ourselves noticed," he said.

While prized by winemakers for producing the famous rot which produces the characteristic flavour it beings to dessert wines, botrytis is also a major pathogen which attacks most fruit and vegetable crops, including berryfruit, kiwifruit and glasshouse crops.

The joint venture will make use of Genesis' genomic capabilities and Landcare Research's expertise in fungal biology to discover controls for the fungus and other fungi.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet