The federal government is investing up to $1,976,150 for Lucent BioSciences Inc. (Lucent Bio) under the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program – Research and Innovation Stream. This investment will help the Burnaby, BC-based company continue to develop its sustainable fertilizer technology to protect soil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease microplastics in the environment.

Most controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture have a microplastic coating. With federal funding support, Lucent Bio will provide a more sustainable alternative by applying a biodegradable coating to these fertilizers, made from surplus starchrtilizer, which can help plants use nitrogen more efficiently. Its coating technology is designed to release nitrogen closer to when plants need it most during their growth cycle. This could allow farmers to use less fertilizer, reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and fertilizer costs.

“Federal government funding gives Lucent Bio the opportunity to take the technology we have been developing and move it into a new area with significant potential in agriculture,” says Farah Nour, co-foiunder and chief science officer, Lucent BioSciences Inc. “We’re applying our biodegradable biopolymer technology to controlled-release nitrogen to help growers get more value from the nitrogen they apply while reducing nutrient losses to the environment. Support from the federal government allows us to improve this work faster and brings us one step closer to putting a Canadian-developed solution into the hands of growers.”

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada September 16, 2026 news release