About

Metagenom Bio Life Science, is a genomics lab services provider. Through its subsidiary Healthy Hydroponics InnoTech, it provides pathogen surveillance services to vegetable producers, and microbial inoculants from its sister company Earth Microbial Canada. Earth Microbial Public Benefit Corp is a US corporation under common Canadian ownership that provides a footprint in the US for sales and marketing.

Project

In collaboration with Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, and the support of the Development and Commercialization program, Metagenom will conduct controlled trials at Vineland’s  state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities. These trials will demonstrate how En-Guard protects plants, reduces disease, and improves yields. A key aspect of the work involves cutting-edge diagnostics. The company has identified the specific Fusarium strains causing recent Ontario outbreaks and created precise detection assays to differentiate between the main Fusarium strains of concern. Metagenom will also develop new rapid tests to identify various Fusarium pathogens impacting local vegetable production. Furthermore, Metagenom will also explore how En-Guard influences the beneficial microbial communities within hydroponic systems. This deeper understanding will pave the way for smarter, microbiome-informed strategies. The data gathered will also lay the groundwork for future AI tools, enabling growers to predict disease outbreaks and optimize En-Guard application for maximum effectiveness.

Impact

This project will deliver several key tangible outcomes, for immediate and future application. The primary deliverable will be validation of the En-Guard inoculant product demonstrated to effectively inhibit Fusarium root rot on pepper in greenhouse conditions.  This will help Metagenom achieve a 300%- 500% increase in revenue and create opportunities for 5-8 new positions within the next 3 years.