Recording available: Sprayable RNAs for sustainable crop protection

Explore the potential of sprayable RNAs in sustainable agriculture and learn how RNA-based technologies are shaping the future of crop protection.

We are pleased to share the recording of a lecture by Prof. Aline Koch exploring the potential of sprayable RNA technologies as an innovative and sustainable approach to crop protection.

Watch the recording on ths LINK. 

As agriculture faces increasing pressure to reduce reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides, RNA-based solutions are emerging as a promising alternative. In this lecture, Prof. Koch discusses how sprayable RNAs can be used to target specific pests and pathogens with high precision, offering an environmentally friendly strategy for protecting crops while working toward the efficacy required under field conditions.

The presentation provides insights into current challenges in plant protection, the limitations of conventional pesticides, and the opportunities that RNA technologies create for the future of sustainable agriculture.

Aline Koch is a Professor of Plant RNA Transport and researcher at the Department of Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry at the University of Regensburg, Germany. Her research group focuses on developing sustainable RNA-based technologies, including non-GMO RNA spray applications for environmentally friendly crop protection and gene editing.

Prof. Koch also serves as the supervisor of Doctoral Candidate and MSCA Fellow Lara Palatinus, who is carrying out her ViroiDoc research project, “RNA Sprays: Precision Tools for the Modulation of Host Genes to Develop Viroid Resistance,” at UREG.

The lecture was delivered as part of the 11th Colloquium on Genetics, organized by the Genetic Society of Slovenia (GSS) in cooperation with the Slovenian Society of Human Genetics (SSHG), held on 25 September 2026 at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana.

Explore more content on viroid research by visiting ViroiDoc YouTube channel.

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.