MIT researchers will lead an up to $53 million effort, awarded by the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) as part of its STREAM (Systems for Tracking and Resilience in Efficient Agricultural-input Management) program, to develop next-generation weed killers that help farmers and protect human health. More than 1 billion pounds of herbicide are used in the United States every year. Herbicides help farmers by preventing significant crop loss due to weeds, and they enable regenerative farming practices that protect the soil, but some weeds are becoming resistant to the most common herbicides. Exposure to herbicides may contribute to increased risk of cancer, metabolic and endocrine disorders, and other adverse health outcomes. Farm workers can be exposed from frequent herbicide use, but many U.S. residents are also exposed to these chemicals in small amounts through food and drinking water. The MIT-led research team will develop new generative artificial...
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