Newswise — The International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research is pleased to announce that Eurofins BioDiagnostics (EBDI ) has joined the organization as a sponsoring partner.

The Phytobiomes Alliance is an international, nonprofit consortium of academic institutions, private companies, and government agencies. The Alliance facilitates and coordinates international efforts toward expanding phytobiomes research to accelerate the sustainable production of food, feed, and fiber for food security.

Phytobiomes research is a system-level approach focused on the complex interactions between plants, microorganisms, soils, climate, environment, and management practices. The term “Phytobiome” refers to a plant growing within a specific environment, or biome. Phytobiomes consist of plants, their environment, and their associated communities of organisms. Interactions within phytobiomes are dynamic and profoundly affect plant and agroecosystem health.

Eurofins BioDiagnostics, a leader within the field of agricultural testing, is an independent service testing laboratory focused on supporting the agricultural industry. With extensive in-field knowledge of agriculture and the seed industry, as well as experienced analysts and state-of-the-art testing equipment and methodologies, EBDI serves the specific and changing needs of agricultural producers, retailers, plant and animal breeders and academic and governmental agencies worldwide. EBDI uses state-of-the-art DNA, protein and analytical chemistry-based assays to help customers reduce time to market and produce the highest quality products.

“Eurofins BioDiagnostics is enthusiastic to join the Phytobiomes Alliance. At Eurofins we are committed to supporting the agricultural industry by providing accurate and precise analysis and testing services,” said Farhad Ghavami, Chief Science Officer at Eurofins BioDiagnostics. “The mission of Eurofins, to contribute to a safer and healthier world by providing innovative and high quality laboratory research and advisory services well aligns with the Phytobiomes Alliance vision, to promote phytobiome-based enhancement for the sustainable production of food, feed, and fiber.”

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Eurofins BioDiagnostic to the Alliance,” said Kellye Eversole, the Alliance Executive Director. “Their extensive knowledge of agriculture and the seed industry, as well as their experience in high-quality analysis and state-of-the-art seed and biological testing capabilities will be a valuable addition to the Alliance’s scientific Coordinating Committee.”

Farhad Ghavami will represent EBDI in the Alliance Coordinating Committee. This Committee identifies research, resource and technology gaps, establishes priorities, and develops strategic plans to achieve Alliance goals.

Over the next decades, the United Nations predicts that the world population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050. To produce enough food for this growing population in less than 30 growing seasons requires a major paradigm shift in agricultural research and production. The Phytobiomes Alliance aims at addressing this challenge by establishing a foundation of knowledge on how phytobiome components interact and affect each other. Understanding entire systems of phytobiomes will be critical to ensuring sustainable global food security in the next decades in the context of population growth, climate change, the necessity to preserve biodiversity and natural resources, and maintain or enhance grower and farmer profitability.

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About the Phytobiomes Alliance 

The Phytobiomes Alliance is an international, nonprofit alliance of industry, academic, and governmental partners created in 2016. The goal of the Alliance is to understand, predict and control emergent phenotypes for sustainable production of food, feed and fiber on any given farm. The Phytobiomes Alliance is sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Eversole Associates, INRA, Novozymes, Valent BioSciences, Colorado State University, Eurofins BioDiagnostics, Indigo, IRD, Joyn Bio, the University of Maryland, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NewLeaf Symbiotics, the Noble Research Institute, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Pivot Bio, The Fertilizer Institute, the Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research, the American Phytopathological Society, BioConsortia, Prime Discoveries, the Austrian Institute of Technology, and Karyosoft. www.phytobiomesalliance.org

About Eurofins Biodiagnostics

Eurofins BioDiagnostics Inc. provides integrated solutions that span seed and plant product life cycles. Eurofins BioDiagnostics uses state-of-the-art DNA, protein and analytical chemistry-based technologies to help customers reduce time to market and produce high quality seed or biological products. By integrating new technologies in plant and microbes DNA analysis and expertise in both areas, Eurofins BioDiagnostics offers expert analysis and interpretation of test results, as well as a personalized customer experience. Every sample that we receive is an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to accuracy, timeliness, and understanding. We are committed to serving customers with an unparalleled suite of testing services for the seed and plant industries. www.eurofinsus.com/biodiagnostics