Semion transforms pest control by restoring crops’ natural defenses with plant-based compounds, reducing chemical use and environmental impact, and offering farmers more sustainable and resilient ways to protect their crops. Semion’s first product targets corn pests, while its discovery platform unlocks new natural solutions for agriculture’s biggest challenges.
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Victoria Coll Araoz
Victoria Coll Araoz is the co-founder and Chief Science Officer of SEMION, an agricultural technology company developing pest control strategies by restoring crops' natural defenses. With over 18 years of research experience, she holds a Ph.D. in phytochemistry from the National University of Tucumán in Argentina. Her work focuses on manipulating the chemistry mediating crop-pest-parasitoid interactions. A former Fulbright Scholar, she conducted research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Florida.
TECHNOLOGY
Critical Need
Modern crops were bred for yield and size over resilience. In the process, key defense traits were lost, making plants more vulnerable to pests’ attack. On top of that, rising global temperatures have increased the prevalence of tropical pests in temperate areas, while reliance on synthetic insecticides is increasingly ineffective due to resistance, environmental toxicity, and harmful effects on beneficial organisms.
Technology Vision
Semion introduces a novel approach to pest control by focusing on crop-pest chemical interactions rather than directly targeting pests or modifying plant genetics. The company develops natural compound-based foliar sprays that reactivate plant defense mechanisms suppressed during domestication, inducing both direct and indirect defenses. Semion’s first product offers a solution for the corn leafhopper, inducing corn repellent volatiles and attractants for parasitoid wasps, while simultaneously increasing plant tolerance to biotic stress.
Potential for Impact
By harnessing plant-based compounds, Semion helps crops fight pests naturally, reducing the need for synthetic chemicals, promoting biodiversity, and enhancing agricultural resilience in a changing climate. While launching its first product for corn protection, Semion aims to unlock thousands of untapped natural compounds with the potential to revolutionize pest management across diverse crops.
Website
SEMION