Portrait Brenden Barco

“Our ambition is to efficiently integrate large DNA fragments into specific genomic locations. Targeted insertion will accelerate R&D, delivering more innovative solutions to farmers, faster.”

Brenden Barco, Senior Scientist, R&D Trait Technologies and Genome Editing Traits, Syngenta



Matthew Bramlett Portrait

“Identifying novel and efficacious insect control traits is a key challenge for the entire agricultural industry. For this challenge we were trying to find faster, more efficient methods to characterize and differentiate binding sites of our candidate proteins.”

Matthew Bramlett, Head Trait Discovery, Syngenta



Portrait Cai Wen

“This challenge sought solutions to help us identify poor agronomic performance in the early stages of our development cycle through the introduction of new tools and technologies"

Cai Wen, Senior Scientist, Vector Delivery and Analysis, Syngenta



Portrait Vlad Pascanu

"Better understanding how fluorine substituents impact the biokinetic profile of a molecule will help us discover the next generation of agrochemicals less dependent on fluorination for their in vivo performance."

Vlad Pascanu, Principal Scientist Crop Protection Research Chemistry, Syngenta



Matthew Wallenstein Headshot

“Around the world, soil degradation is holding back the potential productivity & sustainability of the farms we all depend on. We want to collaborate with innovators that have novel solutions for soil restoration so that we can put them in the hands of farmers to solve this grand challenge.”

Matthew Wallenstein, Chief Soil Scientist, Syngenta



Portrait Zaida Andres Gonzalez

“We sought to collaborate with R&D partners beyond agriculture to access microalgae strains and explore their potential. One of our key goals is to help farmers protect their crops from cold stress during germination and seedling establishment. We received some really interesting submissions.”

Zaida Andres Gonzalez, Global Head of Chemistry and Formulation Science, Syngenta Biologicals



Portrait Alessandro Biasone

"Through this challenge, we sought to collaborate with R&D partners beyond the agricultural sector to access seaweed samples and extracts, recognizing their unique properties as a potential solution to enhancing plant and soil health for farmers."

Alessandro Biasone, Global Head of Chemistry and Formulation Science, Syngenta Biologicals



Portrait Chris Lindsay

"This challenge was about unlocking the potential of biomass waste to create a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuel. We’re now working on a number of exciting projects that have grown from the submissions we have received over the last 18 months.”

Chris Lindsay, Materials Science Team Leader, Syngenta



Portrait John Mina

"Unravelling the intricate molecular structure of agricultural pests beyond mere anatomy promises profound scientific gains in understanding the biology of polyphagous insect pests to deliver innovation for growers, giving them a fighting chance to protect their crops safely and effectively."

John Mina, Senior Principal Scientist, Insecticides Biochemistry Science Lead, Syngenta