Ascribe Bioscience, Inc.

Ascribe Bioscience, Inc. is a biotechnology company founded in 2017 by Frank Schroeder, Daniel Klessig, Murli Manohar, and Jay Farmer, with its headquarters located in Ithaca, New York. The company develops natural crop protection solutions derived from small molecules in the soil microbiome, originating from research at the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University, to support sustainable agriculture by enhancing plant defenses against pathogens.

Business/Product Breakdown

Ascribe Bioscience, Inc. focuses on discovering and commercializing biofungicides and related crop protection products that leverage ascarosides, naturally occurring signaling molecules from the soil microbiome, to activate plants' innate immune responses against fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases. The flagship product, Phytalix, serves as a broad-spectrum biofungicide applicable via foliar sprays or seed treatments, designed for integration with existing farming practices to provide disease control without toxicity, biodegradability concerns, or GMO involvement, targeting row crops such as rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, barley, tomatoes, and potatoes. This technology platform emphasizes minimal application rates and compatibility with other agricultural inputs, addressing pathogen resistance and environmental impacts associated with traditional chemical pesticides. Collaborations with entities like Nutrien Ag Solutions and Loveland Products facilitate product development, field trials, and market expansion for U.S. row crops, while partnerships with Corteva and Syngenta Group Ventures support scaling and innovation in biological crop inputs.