Agragene utilizes Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology™ (pgSIT) to disrupt pest reproduction and enhance crop yields without the use of pesticides or chemicals. The company addresses the challenges of crop damage and mosquito-borne diseases by providing environmentally friendly biological pest control solutions.
Funding
$7.6M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional pest control methods rely heavily on pesticides, which can harm beneficial insects, contaminate the environment, and lead to pesticide resistance in pest populations. Current sterile insect techniques often use radiation, which can impair the insects' mating ability, reducing the effectiveness of the pest control strategy.
Solution
Agragene is developing Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology™ (pgSIT) to provide a cleaner, more targeted approach to pest control. This technology uses CRISPR gene editing to create sterile male insects that, when released, mate with wild females, resulting in non-viable offspring and a reduction in the pest population. Unlike radiation-based methods, pgSIT preserves the mating competitiveness of the sterile males, increasing the efficiency of pest control. This approach offers a pesticide-free solution for protecting crops and reducing the environmental impact of traditional pest management.
Target Audience
Agragene's primary customers are agricultural growers seeking sustainable and effective pest control solutions, as well as government agencies and organizations focused on public health and vector control.
Features
- CRISPR-based gene editing to create sterile male insects
- Targeted disruption of pest reproduction without harming beneficial species
- Preservation of male mating competitiveness for effective population suppression
- Production of only sterile males, eliminating the release of damaging females
- Potential for integration with existing integrated pest management (IPM) strategies
- Environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides