FA Bio Is Tapping into the Fungal Kingdom for Sustainable Farming
- Marc Violo
- Apr 22
- 4 min read
Article in partnership with FA Bio a U.K. based company improving agricultural productivity and sustainability using disruptive early diagnostic tools and services rooted in nature's wisdom.
Why fungi are changing the game in agriculture
In 2016, Angela de Manzanos Guinot was standing in a strawberry field in the UK when a revelation struck. A grower facing severe crop losses due to disease had tried nearly every solution on the market—yet nothing worked. Angela, then co-founder of FA Bio (formerly FungiAlert), deployed the company’s early version of its SporSenZ soil sensor. What they found changed everything: native fungal strains from the very soil beneath the strawberries showed stronger biofungicidal activity than the top commercial products available.
That moment crystallised a vision. “Fungi are the true influencers of soil ecosystems,” Angela says. “They’re not just decomposers—they regulate plant health, drive nutrient uptake, and can even ward off pests and diseases. We’ve only scratched the surface of what they can do.”
From overlooked organisms to bioactive goldmines
Fungi are ancient, adaptable, and astonishingly complex. A single fungal strain can contain up to 35,000 genes—each potentially producing novel compounds with antimicrobial, fertilising, or plant-boosting properties. Yet despite making up around 50% of agricultural soils, fungi have historically been marginalised in agricultural R&D.
FA Bio’s 30 team members believe that part of the problem is perception. Fungi are often associated with disease and rot, but that narrow framing misses their immense potential as allies in sustainable farming. FA Bio’s work is rewriting that narrative—turning fungi into a reliable, science-backed alternative to synthetic inputs.
Field-first science
Central to FA Bio’s strategy is the SporSenZ technology, a patented root-mimicking sensor that attracts active microbes from farmers’ soils. Unlike traditional lab sampling, which often misses key species that don't grow well in Petri dishes, SporSenZ pulls in the microbes that are actually doing the work in farmers’ fields.
This approach has created one of the world’s most unique Microbial Library Collections: over 3,700 fungal isolates, each captured at peak activity from agricultural sites across the world. These microbes are then bioprospected in FA Bio’s lab and assessed using AI-based analytics to identify which strains hold the greatest promise as biofungicides, biofertilisers, or biostimulants.
“We’ve calculated that within our current library alone, there could be more than 150,000 unexplored biosynthetic pathways,” says Angela. “We’re just beginning to unlock that potential.”
From strawberries to wheat: Trial breakthroughs
One breakthrough came from an FA Bio trial on strawberries. A fungal isolate used as a soil drench not only outperformed synthetic fungicides in protecting the crop—it also reduced mite infestations, a result no one anticipated. This discovery prompted FA Bio to investigate the dual-action potential of its strains as both biofungicides and bioinsecticides.
These dual-function properties are now being pushed further in wheat. With support from Defra's Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, FA Bio is leading a project to develop a fungal biopesticide targeting both fungal diseases and insect pests in cereal crops. Wheat yields in the UK can be slashed by up to 40% due to these combined pressures, and this bioproduct could offer a sustainable, homegrown solution.
Beyond protection: Reducing fertiliser use with fungi
The FA Bio team are also turning their attention to fungi’s role in nutrient use efficiency. Currently, only 40–60% of applied nitrogen fertiliser is absorbed by plants; the rest is lost to the soil or waterways. Their fungal treatments are showing signs of improving root structure and biomass, thereby enhancing nutrient uptake and potentially reducing fertiliser needs.
When meeting the team in their Harpenden headquarters, the team highlighted that “to see real soil health regeneration and consistent yield impact, we need multi-season data. But what we’re seeing so far is extremely encouraging.”
Reframing fungi in the policy and innovation ecosystem
Despite this promise, fungal bioproducts still face hurdles. Unlike bacteria, which are more commonly used in biological ag inputs and have clearer regulatory pathways, some new species of fungi are still seen as “the new kids on the block.”
FA Bio is advocating for change. Fungal bioproducts don’t just solve one problem—they address sustainability, productivity, biodiversity, and resilience all at once. Yet they don’t have dedicated frameworks. We need regulators to catch up with science. FA Bio is navigates this complex environment with a clear strategy: they avoid strains that grow at human body temperature to reduce safety concerns, and they prioritise native, biosafety level 1 strains to simplify approval. Meanwhile, partnerships with organisations like IFF Crop Biologicals are accelerating the path from discovery to commercial product.
Fungi as tools—not just treatments
What makes fungi so exciting is not just their individual power, but their versatility. Some strains promote drought resistance by regulating plant stress hormones. Others help detoxify heavy metals or break down complex organic pollutants. And perhaps most importantly, fungi play a key role in carbon sequestration—stabilising carbon in soils and making agriculture a climate solution rather than a climate problem.
Angela sums it up best: “Fungi are not just an input—they’re a system. They’re adaptive, multifunctional, and evolve alongside the ecosystems they’re in. That’s why they’re so powerful—and why we need to pay attention.”
With a pipeline of promising fungal strains heading into commercial development and a growing number of field trials underway, FA Bio is shaping what could be a turning point in how the agri-sector thinks about soil health and crop inputs.
Fungi are no longer background actors in agriculture. Thanks to innovators like FA Bio, they’re stepping forward as protagonists in the shift towards regenerative, climate-smart farming.
