MIT-led team receives funding to develop next-generation alternatives to modern weed killers

MIT researchers will lead an effort of up to $53 million, awarded by ARPA-H under its STREAM program, to develop next-generation weed killers that help farmers and protect human health. The project, Precision Learning for On-target Weed control (PLOW), will use generative AI to predict chemical compounds or siRNA that disrupt the same plant enzymes targeted by glyphosate and other herbicides, with candidate molecules screened and then evaluated in greenhouse studies. The team also plans to develop living microbial systems that degrade agrochemicals before they reach food, soil, or waterways.