Agragene builds new tools that help growers control damaging insect pests. Our first product, KNOCKOUT™ SWD, is designed to help berry and cherry growers manage spotted wing drosophila, one of the most costly, invasive pests in global soft fruit production. Additional work extends to other pests that threaten food production, including in livestock.

Agragene is based in the St. Louis, Missouri metro area and a member of the 39 North Innovation District.

Agragene was co-founded out of Dr. Omar Akbari's laboratory at the University of California, Riverside, where the underlying gene-editing science was developed. Dr. Akbari and his lab then moved to the University of California, San Diego.  The company is led today by CEO Bryan Witherbee and a leadership team with backgrounds in agriculture, molecular biology, insect production, and commercial operations. Our Board Chairman, Carl Casale, is a fourth-generation Oregon berry farmer with three decades of experience across major agricultural companies and farmer cooperatives. You can learn more about our team on our About page.