In-person event | ABIM 2023 - Reducing development time of microbial formulations using chassis systems

Presentation abstract:

Formulating spore forming microbes can be a challenge as their morphological structure can be extremely hydrophobic making their dispersion in water ineffective and problematic in field application. The presence of water can encourage dormant spores to germinate therefore reducing the viability at the time of spraying. Using water free systems can provide an almost inert environment for the microbe during storage.

Wettable powders (WP) can offer benefits when working with such sensitive active substances. They involve a simple production process whereby microbe, filler and dispersant are gently combined. WPs are water-free reducing the likelihood of spore germination issues during storage. Linked to this, preserving agents can be harmful to the microorganisms but are not required in WPs. Finally, with WPs there are no storage sedimentation issues as the entire system is a solid. Of course, there are still formulation challenges of WPs such as; nozzle clogging, poor distribution of active, caking formation in the tank mix and poor shelf-life caused by formulation components.

To combat the challenges of formulating microbes as WP, Croda has produced a new ready-to-use WP chassis system. Having a pre-made base chassis which contains dispersants, wetting agents and filler to which a microbe is simply added can significantly reduce development time and risk of poor formulation performance. It also limits the required formulation knowledge to produce a final microbial product. Croda’s new WP product has been screened with Trichoderma, Metarhizium and Beauvaria and seen excellent dispersancy performance, stability and viability after 180-day germination tests.