Deep Tech Pioneer Switch Bioworks Announces Collaboration with Global Agriculture Leader Bayer Crop Science to Advance Biological Nitrogen
15 October 2026, San Carlos: Switch Bioworks, a deep tech company whose engineered microbes create nitrogen fertilizer on the plant root, announced today a strategic collaboration with Bayer Crop Science (Bayer) on Switch’s genetic switch technology and its potential to develop next-generation biologicals that deliver clear benefits to growers.
Nitrogen fixation is an initial focus of the collaboration. Biological nitrogen has been one of agriculture’s most promising frontiers, and leading companies, Bayer among them, have invested for years to advance it. The field has faced a stubborn technical trade-off: microbes engineered to produce nitrogen fertilizer can struggle to establish on the root, while those that establish reliably often don’t produce enough to create real value for growers. Closing that gap takes exactly the kind of scientific depth Switch Bioworks has built.
Switch is pioneering and leading a new category of biofertilizer through programmable biology. Its genetically engineered microbes, first developed at Stanford, are designed to bypass that trade-off. They establish on the root first, then switch on nitrogen production once they’re established. In grow-room studies, that genetic programming produced five times more nitrogen than always-on control strains.
“Bayer’s commitment to advancing agriculture through innovative biological solutions is unparalleled, and they have long demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the complexities of nitrogen performance in corn,” said Dr. Tim Schnabel, founder and CEO of Switch Bioworks. “Partnering with Bayer is a testament to the potential of our platform, and this collaboration marks a pivotal milestone for our company.”
“Growers need more options to manage unpredictable conditions, protect crop potential and optimize their crop nutrition programs. They also need to do this while meeting increasing expectations from consumers for more resilient and responsible food systems. Biologicals are another way we address these challenges,” said Benoit Hartmann, Insights, Innovation & Partnerships Lead at Bayer Crop Science. “To address these incredibly complex challenges, we partner with innovators like Switch Bioworks around the world to help bring solutions to growers. We do that by complementing their expertise with our capabilities in product development, formulation, field testing and commercialization, as well as our understanding of crop genetics. That’s the only way we’re going to accelerate progress.”
As a global leader in health and nutrition, Bayer is committed to tackling the pressing challenges of our time presented by a growing and aging global population and creating value through innovation and growth. By connecting seed and crop protection innovation, Bayer delivers whole-farm solutions that help growers manage risk, capture yield potential and improve return on investment.
Switch has obtained USDA and EPA authorization for first-in-class field trials of its engineered microbial fertilizer, now underway at multiple sites across the U.S. Midwest, and more recently secured approvals in Brazil from the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio). The company’s deep tech genetic switch technology, the foundation of its programmable biology platform, is protected by seven patent families and can be applied well beyond agriculture, across energy, industrial biotechnology, and the microbiomes that shape human health. Switch has built a world-class executive and scientific team with the expertise to develop these products and bring them to market.
Also Read: Bayer to Distribute INERA’s Biological Crop Nutrition Products in India
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