Corteva to collaborate with Alveo Technologies

Alveo Technologies, Inc. will collaborate with Corteva in an effort to expand its novel eco-friendly molecular sensing and disease diagnostics technology to include a first-in-field agricultural disease diagnostic.

Alveo’s rapid and portable medical-grade platform utilizes advanced molecular assays and cloud-enabled data analytics for real-time disease, pathogen analysis, and diagnosis. 

“Alveo has developed a game changing, mobile ‘molecular lab’ that can deliver highly-sensitive and specific diagnostic testing where it is needed, which can help solve some of the world’s most complex problems, like pandemics and global food crises,” said Shaun Holt, CEO of Alveo, in a news release. “Our collaboration with Corteva reflects our core focus of taking molecular testing out of the lab and directly to the point of need where it can deliver insight and guidance. This partnership extends the technology beyond healthcare and into agricultural applications.”

Corteva scientists aim to use Alveo’s point-of-care infectious disease diagnostic platform, be.well, to design crop-specific assays for in-field disease detection. Corteva plans to explores uses for the be.well Analyzer, a portable, palm-sized, rechargeable device; the be.well Cartridge which contains the reagents required for an isothermal amplification reaction; and the be.well Mobile App. 

“Corteva Agriscience explores the latest technologies as we strive to bring actionable insights and solutions to farmers where and when they need them,” said Gina Zastrow-Hayes, a technical director of seed, R&D & biotechnology at Corteva. “We are pleased to explore this feasibility with Alveo and are excited by the potential that in-field molecular testing platforms hold for the agricultural industry.”