Hyperparasite-derived antifungal discovery for sustainable crop protection

Fungal plant diseases cause major losses in Dutch agriculture. Farmers rely on a limited number of synthetic fungicides to protect crops. Many of these products act similarly at the molecular level. As a result, many plant pathogenic fungi have developed resistance, making existing products less effective. At the same time, environmental regulations are restricting the use of several chemical fungicides. Companies that develop crop protection products, thus, face a clear challenge: the need for new biodegradable antifungal molecules with different modes of action, that meet safety regulations, and can be produced at scale. The objective of this project is to identify and evaluate new bio-based antifungal lead compounds that can contribute to resilient crop protection in the Netherlands and beyond. We focus on a new hyperparasitic fungus that we recently discovered; Torrubiellomyces zombiae. Our laboratory experiments with this fungus showed that it can strongly inhibit the growth of two economically important crop pathogens, Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Follow-up tests suggested that Torrubiellomyces suppresses these plant pathogens by producing small natural products as a response to the pathogens’ direct presence. Within this one-year project, we will identify the molecules responsible for this inhibition and test whether they effectively suppress fungal growth. We will also assess their basic safety profile and evaluate whether they can be produced efficiently using bioengineering approaches. This collaboration between Utrecht University, BlueTile Therapeutics BV and BRIGHT combines expertise in fungal biology, antifungal testing, early safety assessment, and scalable production strategies. Together, we will prioritize up to three promising antifungal candidates and determine whether they are suitable for further development towards agricultural applications. By directly linking chemical discovery to effectivity and safety testing, and production scalability through bioengineering, this project supports the development of new bio-based antifungal solutions and strengthens the resilience of Dutch food production.