RNAgri Inks Deal with Monsanto for Use of St. Louis Startup’s RNA Production Technology

BioGenerator-backed AgTech Company Focuses on Naturally-Occurring
Process

ST. LOUIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–RNAgri,
a St. Louis startup developing technology for agriculture, has entered a
research collaboration with global agriculture company Monsanto.
The deal allows Monsanto to use RNAgri’s proprietary RNA
production technology to produce RNA for research and development of
RNA interference (RNAi) applications for agriculture and bee health.

This translates to a safe, scalable cost-effective, agricultural active
that can control pests and disease or impact traits while maintaining an
environmentally sustainable footprint.

RNA interference, or RNAi, is a naturally-occurring process, discovered
by Nobel Prize winners Drs. Andrew Fire and Craig Mello. In agriculture,
RNAi can result in decreased production of a protein to achieve a
desirable physiological outcome or trait. RNAgri’s system produces RNA,
which can be used to regulate targeted genes in plants, insects and
fungi with effectiveness and specificity.

“In short, RNAi can selectively reduce expression of genes that are
necessary for the pest or weed to live so that the insect or weed is no
longer a threat to crops,” said Dr.
John Killmer, RNAgri CEO.

In this collaboration with Monsanto, RNAgri will focus its technology on
producing RNA to support Monsanto’s priority research and development
projects. RNAgri has succeeded in cost-effectively producing its RNA
products in mass quantities suitable for agriculture – an unmet need for
over a decade. RNAgri’s patented technology can produce RNA in both
gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

“Formalizing this relationship with Monsanto is a strong validation for
RNAgri, as Monsanto is an innovator in RNAi research and development,”
said Jerry Steiner, RNAgri Chairman and former executive vice president
at Monsanto. “Our collaboration with Monsanto enables us to further
develop our production technology.”

“We hope to leverage RNAgri’s production technology to provide
cost-effective RNA that can further enhance our research and development
of products that hold great promise to help our customers produce
bountiful harvests with an even more sustainable environmental
footprint,” said Jeremy Williams, Monsanto’s Vice President of
Biotechnology and Ag Productivity Innovations. “Monsanto is also
encouraged to see breakthrough innovations coming from the St. Louis
startup community.”

BioGenerator,
the investment arm of BioSTL, is the lead investor in RNAgri with nearly
$800,000 invested. The company is a tenant of the BioGenerator Labs. The
Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC), Helix Fund and Yield Lab also
have invested in RNAgri.

“RNAgri is an important component of BioGenerator’s and St. Louis’
emerging ag portfolio,” said Dan Broderick, BioGenerator Vice President
of Investments and RNAgri Board Member. “It has an opportunity to have a
transformational impact in multiple agricultural sectors, enabling
alternative approaches that avoid the major regulatory and public
perception issues associated with GMOs.”

RNAgri’s technology also can be used to make products for markets
outside of Monsanto’s R&D, such as mosquito, cockroach, fire ant and
termite control.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. RNAgri recently
changed its name from APSE Inc. in order to more closely identify with
its core technology. RNAgri was created in 2017 with assets from Apse
Inc., the addition of new board members Jerry Steiner and former
Director of the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs Dr. Debra Edwards,
and identification of newly developed technology that dramatically
improves RNA manufacturing efficiency.

Contacts

BioSTL
Maggie Crane, 314-880-8873
[email protected]