Compositions and methods for scalable production and delivery of biologicals

Inventors

SHAKEEL, AMEER HAMZA • DAVIS, ZACHERY GEORGE • FRANK, Joseph Thomas • ZOMORODI, SEPEHR • POURTAHERI, PAYAM

Assignees

Agrospheres Inc

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally directed to an agricultural formulation comprising an anucleated minicells and an anucleated cell-based platforms for encapsulation and scalable delivery of biologically active compounds. Disclosed herein are compositions for the stable and targeted delivery of biologically active compounds within achromosomal and/or anucleated cells onto and/or into a target cell. The present disclosure also provides methods of improving encapsulation and retention of biologically active compounds in achromosomal and/or anucleated cells and delivering biologically active compounds into a target cell.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to an agricultural formulation and delivery platform using intact achromosomal/anucleated minicells to encapsulate biologically active compounds. The platform provides stable, targeted, and scalable encapsulation and delivery of the biologically active payload in an agricultural context, and the minicells are described as derived from bacterial, eukaryotic, endophytic, and/or pathogen sources.

A primary payload class described is a nucleic acid capable of inducing RNA interference in an agricultural target pest. The nucleic acids include antisense nucleic acids and double-stranded RNA, including dsRNA, shRNA, siRNA, and miRNA, and are also described alongside additional classes such as ribozymes, aptamers, biocontrol compounds, and biostimulant compounds.

Targeting and cell interaction are provided through surface-expressed fusion proteins and other surface moieties. The document describes carbohydrate binding modules and examples of carbohydrate binding domains including cellulose binding, xylan binding, chitin binding, and lignin binding, and it also describes incorporation of a dsRNA-binding protein (DRB4) as an optional feature.

The document additionally discusses scalable encapsulation and release concepts that protect actives from environmental degradation, and it describes controlled release modulation using crosslinking or chemical treatments, including glutaraldehyde, with release modes described as slow/steady or burst/steady.

Claims Coverage

The document includes two independent claims. Across the independent claims, the core inventive elements are minicell encapsulation of an RNA interference nucleic acid and the specified agricultural pest targeting context, with one claim additionally requiring an insecticide component.

The claims cover agricultural compositions where RNA interference nucleic acids are encapsulated in minicells for delivery to agricultural target pests, including a broad agricultural target pest context with an insecticide co-component in one independent claim and a lepidoptera-specific RNAi context in the other.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications