BASF’s acquisition of AgBiTech and the emergence of targeted protein degradation suggest the crop-protection industry is finally moving past a stale binary. The next chapter is likely to be less about choosing between chemistry and biology, and more about building deeper, more resilient toolkits for farmers.
On March 31, BASF completed its acquisition of AgBiTech, taking full ownership of a biological insect-control company built around naturally occurring viruses that target caterpillar pests. Within the same stretch of news flow, UK startup Bindbridge was making the case that targeted protein degradation, powered by AI-designed molecular glues,
