{"id":75017,"date":"2025-06-26T11:53:21","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T09:53:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?p=75017"},"modified":"2026-01-20T09:18:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T08:18:31","slug":"new-embl-spin-off-cerelixis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/new-embl-spin-off-cerelixis\/","title":{"rendered":"Cerelixis: precision phytostimulants for resilient agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--bordered vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n      <h3 class=\"vf-card__heading\">\n      Summary    <\/h3>\n                <p class=\"vf-card__text\"><ul>\r\n \t<li>To sustainably feed a growing population, we need complementary solutions to conventional crop protection, which already faces significant challenges from climate change, slow innovation, and strict regulations.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Researchers from EMBL Grenoble&#8217;s Marquez Team contributed to the mechanistic understanding of abscisic acid (ABA) receptors \u2013 components of a key signalling pathway that helps plants respond to environmental stress.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>This discovery enables the development of precision phytostimulants \u2013 chemicals that could help crops grow better and be more resilient to adverse environmental conditions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The research led to the creation of Cerelixis, an EMBL spin-off working on translating these findings into solutions for sustainable agriculture.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Feeding a projected 11 billion people by the end of the 21st century necessitates a substantial increase in food production. However, boosting yields has traditionally meant relying on crop protection strategies \u2013 pesticides or herbicides to prevent crop loss due to pests, weeds, fungi, etc. Yet, these conventional methods are increasingly challenged by factors such as climate change, stricter regulations, and growing resistance issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>EMBL researchers have developed a promising solution that complements conventional crop protection by improving plants\u2019 resilience to adverse conditions. This innovation could partially address the new challenges we face, while aiming for a more environment- and health-friendly approach. This research is now being translated into real-world agricultural solutions through a new EMBL spin-off \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/cerelixis.eu\/\">Cerelixis<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading Discovery\">Crop protection rooted in improved molecular understanding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Working with scientists from the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.csic.es\/en\"> Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas<\/a> (CSIC) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/chemical-biology\/\">EMBL Heidelberg\u2019s Chemical Biology Core Facility<\/a> (CBCF), the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/marquez\/\">Marquez Team<\/a> at EMBL Grenoble harnessed the institute&#8217;s leading-edge technology to develop potent molecules that bind to abscisic acid (ABA) receptors and modulate the ABA signalling pathway in plants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the plant hormone ABA binds to its receptors, it activates signals that can help switch on key enzymes by shutting down their inhibitors. Essentially, the ABA signalling pathway acts as a central command centre, orchestrating vital plant responses to environmental stresses and developmental cues. Beyond stress responses, the ABA pathway also plays crucial roles in seed dormancy, germination, and plant growth regulation. It is thus of fundamental importance in plant survival and adaptation to fluctuating conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research in the Marquez lab helped explain at a molecular level how the ABA signalling pathway is activated in plants. This, in turn, provided insights on how to design molecules to either switch this pathway on or off. Such novel molecules could act as \u2018phytostimulants\u2019, strengthening the plants\u2019 resilience to adverse conditions and potentially leading to better harvest quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--striped vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n      <h3 class=\"vf-card__heading\">\n      What are phytostimulants    <\/h3>\n                <p class=\"vf-card__text\">Phytostimulants are substances other than nutrients and pesticides, which, when applied to plants or seeds can affect their physiological processes in a way that provides potential benefits to growth, development, and\/or stress response.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;At Cerelixis, we&#8217;re pioneering smart, targeted solutions to enhance and safeguard crops by outsmarting biological and environmental vulnerabilities,&#8221; explained <strong>Julia Santiago Cuellar<\/strong>, an EMBL alumna and now an Associate Professor at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. \u201cOur process starts with identifying crucial protein targets in trait regulation. We then rapidly screen vast molecular libraries to find activators or disruptors. This accelerated discovery yields multiple promising candidates, which we refine into powerful, precise tools. These tools enable crops to resist threats, enhance resilience, and ultimately increase yields \u2013 it\u2019s like flipping a molecular &#8216;off switch&#8217; to sustainably overcome plant limitations.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Europe\">Cultivating change: collaborative effort within Europe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The new start-up, Cerelixis, has a strong foundation in sustainable agriculture, built by bringing together experts from across Europe. This endeavour also leveraged technological advancements supported by European Commission infrastructure programmes, such as iNEXT and <a href=\"https:\/\/fragmentscreen.org\/home\">Fragment Screen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marquez, with over two decades of experience in structural biology research and high-throughput technologies, drives the scientific core of Cerelixis. His expertise has been instrumental in numerous plant biology discoveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This approach provides an efficient and comprehensive pipeline from X-ray-based ligand screening to medicinal chemistry optimisation,&#8221; said <strong>Jos\u00e9 Antonio Marquez<\/strong>, Team Leader at EMBL and co-founder of Cerelixis. &#8220;The Marquez Team&#8217;s development of a technical solution, including the CRIMS database, also means we can now perform rapid atomic-scale 3D structural analysis, so this whole process now takes considerably less time. Its potential is immense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cerelixis team also includes <strong>Marianna Vrettou Schultes<\/strong>, the Co-founder and Managing Director. Her expertise covers research and development, strategic marketing, and business development. &#8220;With over 17 years in agricultural R&amp;D, I still find it incredibly fulfilling to embark on my own entrepreneurial journey to spread a wind of change, especially when it has the potential for such a positive impact on the industry,&#8221; said Schultes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further strengthening Cerelixis&#8217;s scientific direction is plant molecular and structural biologist <strong>Julia Santiago Cuellar<\/strong>. She is an EMBL alumna and now an Associate Professor at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The early journey of Cerelixis was accelerated by <a href=\"https:\/\/embl-em.de\/\">EMBLEM, the technology transfer partner and commercial arm of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory<\/a>, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany. With over 25 years of experience in translating life science breakthroughs into commercial realities, EMBLEM proactively identified the potential of Cerelixis&#8217;s innovations and provided vital early-stage support and guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Building on this robust European network, Cerelixis has now been selected to join the prestigious Venture Lab Programme from the<a href=\"https:\/\/bii.dk\/\"> BioInnovation Institute<\/a> (BII) in Copenhagen, Denmark, as a result of winning the highly competitive Venture Lab Competition. This provides significant funding to advance the commercial potential of their molecules. It also grants access to BII&#8217;s world-class facilities, mentorship from seasoned professionals, and a vibrant ecosystem dedicated to fostering life science innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cerelixis journey is just beginning, yet it&#8217;s already attracting the attention of major agricultural players, according to the co-founders. Discussions are underway with venture capital firms and agricultural R&amp;D organisations, helping them reach the next step of commercial seed production.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Spanish\"><strong>Cerelixis: Moleculas de precisi\u00f3n para una agricultura resiliente<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--bordered vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n      <h3 class=\"vf-card__heading\">\n      Resumen    <\/h3>\n                <p class=\"vf-card__text\"><ul>\r\n \t<li>Para alimentar de forma sostenible a una poblaci\u00f3n en crecimiento, se necesitan soluciones complementarias a la protecci\u00f3n de cultivos convencionales, la cual ya enfrenta desaf\u00edos significativos debido al cambio clim\u00e1tico, la lenta innovaci\u00f3n y normativas estrictas.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Investigadores del grupo de M\u00e1rquez en EMBL Grenoble contribuyeron a comprender el funcionamiento de los receptores de \u00e1cido absc\u00edsico (ABA), componentes clave de una v\u00eda de se\u00f1alizaci\u00f3n que ayuda a las plantas a responder al estr\u00e9s ambiental.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Este descubrimiento y una colaboraci\u00f3n entre el EMBL y el CSIC permite desarrollar bioestimulantes de precisi\u00f3n: compuestos qu\u00edmicos que podr\u00edan ayudar a los cultivos a crecer mejor y ser m\u00e1s resilientes frente a condiciones ambientales adversas.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Esta investigaci\u00f3n dio lugar a la creaci\u00f3n de Cerelixis, una spin-off de EMBL que trabaja en traducir estos hallazgos en soluciones para una agricultura sostenible.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n<p><br \/>Una nueva spin-off del EMBL aprovecha avances en biolog\u00eda vegetal para una protecci\u00f3n de cultivos m\u00e1s eficiente.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alimentar a los 11 mil millones de personas que se calcula para finales del siglo XXI requiere un aumento considerable en la producci\u00f3n de alimentos. Tradicionalmente, aumentar los rendimientos ha significado depender de estrategias de protecci\u00f3n de cultivos: pesticidas o herbicidas para evitar p\u00e9rdidas por plagas, malezas, hongos, etc. Sin embargo, estos m\u00e9todos convencionales se ven cada vez m\u00e1s comprometidos por factores como el cambio clim\u00e1tico, regulaciones m\u00e1s estrictas y el crecimiento de la resistencia a estos productos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Investigadores del EMBL y IQFR-CSIC han desarrollado una soluci\u00f3n prometedora que complementa la protecci\u00f3n convencional de cultivos al mejorar la resiliencia de las plantas frente a condiciones adversas. Esta innovaci\u00f3n podr\u00eda abordar en parte los nuevos desaf\u00edos que enfrentamos, apuntando a un enfoque m\u00e1s respetuoso con el medioambiente y la salud. Esta investigaci\u00f3n est\u00e1 siendo trasladada a soluciones agr\u00edcolas reales a trav\u00e9s de una nueva spin-off de EMBL: <strong>Cerelixis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Protecci\u00f3n de cultivos basada en un entendimiento a nivel molecular de los mecanismos de se\u00f1alizaci\u00f3n celular de las plantas<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>En colaboraci\u00f3n con cient\u00edficos del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas (IQFR-CSIC) y de la Plataforma de Biolog\u00eda Qu\u00edmica del EMBL en Heidelberg (CBCF), el equipo de J.A. M\u00e1rquez en EMBL Grenoble utiliz\u00f3 tecnolog\u00eda de vanguardia del instituto para desarrollar potentes mol\u00e9culas que se unen a los receptores del \u00e1cido absc\u00edsico (ABA) y modulan la v\u00eda de se\u00f1alizaci\u00f3n del ABA en las plantas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cuando la hormona vegetal ABA se une a sus receptores, se generan se\u00f1ales que pueden activar cambios a nivel celular. Esta v\u00eda de se\u00f1alizaci\u00f3n funciona como un centro de control dentro de las plantas, orquestando respuestas vitales frente al estr\u00e9s ambiental y se\u00f1ales del desarrollo. M\u00e1s all\u00e1 del estr\u00e9s, la v\u00eda ABA tambi\u00e9n regula procesos como la latencia de las semillas, la germinaci\u00f3n y el crecimiento vegetal. Es, por tanto, fundamental para la supervivencia y adaptaci\u00f3n de las plantas a condiciones cambiantes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Las investigaciones del laboratorio de Jose Antonio M\u00e1rquez, Jefe de la Unidad de Cristalograf\u00eda en EMBL Grenoble y cofundador de Cerelixis, ayudaron a explicar a nivel molecular c\u00f3mo se activa esta v\u00eda en las plantas, lo que permiti\u00f3 dise\u00f1ar mol\u00e9culas capaces de activar o inhibir este sistema. Estas nuevas mol\u00e9culas podr\u00edan actuar como <strong>herramientas de precisi\u00f3n<\/strong>, fortaleciendo la resiliencia de las plantas ante condiciones adversas, acelerando la germinaci\u00f3n y mejorando potencialmente la calidad de las cosechas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--striped vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n      <h3 class=\"vf-card__heading\">\n      \u00bfQu\u00e9 son los bioestimulantes?    <\/h3>\n                <p class=\"vf-card__text\">Sustancias y materiales, excluyendo nutrientes y pesticidas, que cuando se aplican a plantas, semillas o sustratos de cultivo en formulaciones espec\u00edficas, tienen la capacidad de modificar procesos fisiol\u00f3gicos de las plantas, frecuentemente a nivel celular, de una forma que brinda beneficios potenciales al crecimiento, desarrollo y\/o respuesta al estr\u00e9s.\r\n<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEn Cerelixis estamos desarrollando soluciones inteligentes, dirigidas a mejorar y proteger los cultivos, superando vulnerabilidades biol\u00f3gicas y ambientales. Nuestro enfoque comienza identificando una prote\u00edna clave relacionada con un rasgo vegetal, luego cribamos r\u00e1pidamente grandes bibliotecas de peque\u00f1as mol\u00e9culas para encontrar las que pueden activarla o bloquearla. Este proceso acelerado nos permite descubrir m\u00faltiples candidatos prometedores desde el inicio. A partir de ah\u00ed, refinamos estas mol\u00e9culas en herramientas precisas que ayudan a los cultivos a resistir amenazas de forma natural, mejorar su resiliencia y, en \u00faltima instancia, aumentar los rendimientos. Es como activar el &#8216;interruptor molecular&#8217; correcto para eliminar lo que limita a las plantas &#8211; de forma eficiente y sostenible.\u201d dice Julia Santiago Cuellar, ex doctoranda del EMBL y actualmente profesora asociada en la Universidad de Lausana, Suiza.<br \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cultivar el cambio: un esfuerzo colaborativo en Europa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>La nueva spin-off <strong>Cerelixis<\/strong> tiene una s\u00f3lida base en agricultura sostenible, construida gracias a la colaboraci\u00f3n entre expertos de toda Europa. Esta iniciativa tambi\u00e9n hizo uso de avances tecnol\u00f3gicos financiados por programas de infraestructura de la Comisi\u00f3n Europea, como iNEXT y <a href=\"https:\/\/fragmentscreen.org\/home\">Fragment Screen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>El n\u00facleo cient\u00edfico de Cerelixis est\u00e1 dirigido por Jos\u00e9 Antonio Marquez, cuya experiencia de m\u00e1s de dos d\u00e9cadas en biolog\u00eda estructural y tecnolog\u00edas de alto rendimiento ha sido clave en varios descubrimientos en biolog\u00eda vegetal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEste enfoque proporciona una v\u00eda eficiente e integral que va desde la detecci\u00f3n de ligandos mediante rayos X hasta la optimizaci\u00f3n qu\u00edmica\u201d, explica M\u00e1rquez, Jefe de la unidad de Cristalograf\u00eda del EMBL Grenoble y cofundador de Cerelixis. \u201cEl desarrollo de soluciones t\u00e9cnicas por parte de nuestro equipo, incluido el uso de la base de datos CRIMS, nos permite ahora realizar an\u00e1lisis estructurales tridimensionales a escala at\u00f3mica de forma r\u00e1pida, reduciendo considerablemente los tiempos del proceso. Su potencial es inmenso.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>El equipo de Cerelixis tambi\u00e9n incluye a Marianna Vrettou Schultes, cofundadora y directora general, cuya experiencia abarca desde la investigaci\u00f3n y desarrollo hasta el marketing estrat\u00e9gico y el desarrollo empresarial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br \/>&#8220;Con m\u00e1s de 17 a\u00f1os en I+D agr\u00edcola, me resulta incre\u00edblemente gratificante emprender mi propio camino empresarial para impulsar un cambio, especialmente cuando puede tener un impacto tan positivo en la industria&#8221;, coment\u00f3 Schultes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apoyando a\u00fan m\u00e1s la direcci\u00f3n cient\u00edfica de Cerelixis est\u00e1 la bi\u00f3loga molecular y estructural de plantas Julia Santiago Cuellar, ex doctoranda del EMBL y actualmente profesora asociada en la Universidad de Lausana, Suiza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Los primeros pasos de Cerelixis fueron acelerados por EMBLEM, el socio de transferencia tecnol\u00f3gica del Laboratorio Europeo de Biolog\u00eda Molecular (EMBL), con sede en Heidelberg, Alemania. Con m\u00e1s de 25 a\u00f1os de experiencia en convertir avances cient\u00edficos en realidades comerciales, EMBLEM identific\u00f3 proactivamente el potencial de las innovaciones de Cerelixis y brind\u00f3 apoyo esencial en las etapas iniciales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gracias a esta s\u00f3lida red europea, Cerelixis ha sido seleccionada para unirse al prestigioso Venture Lab Programme del BioInnovation Institute (BII) en Copenhague, Dinamarca, tras ganar la competici\u00f3n Venture Lab Competition. Esto les proporciona una financiaci\u00f3n significativa para avanzar en el potencial comercial de sus mol\u00e9culas, adem\u00e1s de acceso a instalaciones de primer nivel, mentor\u00eda de expertos y un ecosistema vibrante dedicado a fomentar la innovaci\u00f3n en ciencias de la vida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>El viaje de Cerelixis apenas comienza, pero ya est\u00e1 atrayendo la atenci\u00f3n de grandes actores del sector agr\u00edcola, seg\u00fan sus cofundadores. Ya se est\u00e1n llevando a cabo conversaciones con firmas de capital riesgo y organizaciones de I+D agr\u00edcola, ayudando a dar el siguiente paso hacia la producci\u00f3n comercial de semillas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new EMBL spin-off leverages new insights into plant biology for more efficient crop protection<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":75029,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17591],"tags":[683,19517,37,13987,361,19513,19515,4700,35,238],"embl_taxonomy":[9792,19339,5148],"class_list":["post-75017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","tag-agriculture","tag-food-production","tag-grenoble","tag-innovation","tag-marquez","tag-phytostimulants","tag-signalling-pathway","tag-spinoff","tag-structural-biology","tag-technology-transfer","embl_taxonomy-embl-grenoble","embl_taxonomy-marquez-team","embl_taxonomy-structural-biology-embl-grenoble"],"acf":{"vfwp-news_embl_taxonomy":[19339,9792,5148],"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"field_target_display":"embl","field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"article_intro":"<p>A new EMBL spin-off leverages new insights into plant biology for more efficient crop protection.<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"Marquez Team","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/marquez\/"},{"link_description":"Drought resistance explained","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/drought-resistance-explained\/"},{"link_description":"EMBLEM Technology Transfer","link_url":"https:\/\/embl-em.de\/"}],"source_article":[{"publication_title":"The abscisic acid receptor PYR1 in complex with abscisic acid.","publication_link":{"title":"Europe PMC","url":"https:\/\/europepmc.org\/article\/MED\/19898494","target":""},"publication_authors":"Santiago J, Dupeux F, Round A, et al.","publication_source":"Nature","publication_date":"Decembre 2009","publication_doi":"10.1038\/nature08591"},{"publication_title":"A thermodynamic switch modulates abscisic acid receptor sensitivity.","publication_link":{"title":"Europe PMC","url":"https:\/\/europepmc.org\/article\/MED\/21847091","target":""},"publication_authors":"Dupeux F, Santiago J, Betz K, et al.","publication_source":"The EMBO Journal","publication_date":"30 august 2011","publication_doi":"10.1038\/emboj.2011.294."}],"in_this_article":[{"heading_description":"Crop protection rooted in improved molecular understanding","anchor":"#Discovery"},{"heading_description":"Cultivating change: collaborative effort within Europe","anchor":"#Europe"}],"press_contact":"EMBL Generic","article_translations":[{"translation_language":"Espa\u00f1ol","translation_anchor":"#Spanish"}],"languages":""},"embl_taxonomy_terms":[{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"b14d3f13-5670-44fb-8970-e54dfd9c921a\";i:1;s:36:\"89e00fee-87f4-482e-a801-4c3548bb6a58\";i:2;s:36:\"8f81131e-d37c-470c-848f-618fce652295\";}","parents":[],"name":["EMBL Grenoble"],"slug":"embl-grenoble","description":"Where &gt; All EMBL sites &gt; EMBL Grenoble"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"fc528877-4017-438f-85b4-de2b54c443f1\";i:2;s:36:\"a40068ba-02fe-4217-ada3-a2968ae27da2\";}","parents":[],"name":["M\u00e1rquez Team"],"slug":"marquez-team","description":"What &gt; Structural Biology (EMBL Grenoble) &gt; M\u00e1rquez Team"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"7ca3ce91-dc32-47ea-8d4b-7a53c3a3a9fd\";i:2;s:36:\"fc528877-4017-438f-85b4-de2b54c443f1\";}","parents":[],"name":["Structural Biology (EMBL Grenoble)"],"slug":"structural-biology-embl-grenoble","description":"What &gt; Research Units &gt; Structural Biology (EMBL Grenoble)"}],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cerelixis: precision phytostimulants for resilient agriculture | EMBL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"EMBL&#039;s newest biotech start-up launches from the BioInnovation Institute to commercialise new solutions for sustainable agriculture\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/new-embl-spin-off-cerelixis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cerelixis: precision phytostimulants for resilient agriculture | EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"EMBL&#039;s newest biotech start-up launches from the BioInnovation Institute to commercialise new solutions for sustainable agriculture\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/new-embl-spin-off-cerelixis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embl.org\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-26T09:53:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T08:18:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250611_cerelixis-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"639\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kim Nalin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@embl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@embl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kim Nalin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/new-embl-spin-off-cerelixis\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/new-embl-spin-off-cerelixis\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kim Nalin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/1d30232bb2050e9cf8484cadd6a29dd7\"},\"headline\":\"Cerelixis: precision phytostimulants for resilient agriculture\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-26T09:53:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T08:18:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/new-embl-spin-off-cerelixis\/\"},\"wordCount\":1925,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/new-embl-spin-off-cerelixis\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250611_cerelixis-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"agriculture\",\"food production\",\"grenoble\",\"innovation\",\"marquez\",\"phytostimulants\",\"signalling pathway\",\"spinoff\",\"structural biology\",\"technology transfer\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science &amp; 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