BugBiome to test lead bioinsecticide in sugar beet field trials with partner Niab

Innovate UK grant to validate effectiveness of lead product, an important developmental milestone

• BugBiome & Niab in UK collaboration to field validate novel bioinsecticide in sugar beet
• Innovate UK-funded study to validate BugBiome’s lead asset & AvidX platform technology, important milestones for investors and commercial partners
• Project also to enhance bioinsecticide active components & develop market strategy

Cambridge, UK, July 7 2025 – BugBiome, an agritech innovator developing new bioinsecticides from crop-associated microbes, is field testing its lead product against aphids via a new Innovate UK grant with partner Niab, an experienced crop trial specialist.

The project, Sustainable crop control: efficacy of insecticides from lab to field, will investigate the effectiveness of the aphid bioinsecticide, the first from the company’s proprietary AvidX platform, against aphid infestation on sugar beet in controlled and field settings. The partners will also optimise the product to improve efficacy and cost-effectiveness in the field.

Field validation of the effectiveness of the lead product outside the lab will mark a major milestone for BugBiome as its sustainable crop control business matures.

Niab, an expert in field trial design and implementation, will lead the polytunnel and field experiment components of the project. Product development will include optimizing stability of the bioinsecticide, which is important for competitive manufacture at scale. In addition, the project will investigate other markers of effectiveness, and further develop commercial, regulatory and manufacturing strategies.

Aphid infestation in sugar beet, primarily through the transmission of virus yellows, can lead to up to 20% yield losses, costing the UK industry over £54 million annually.

BugBiome is backed by Cambridge Angels, Discovery Park Ventures, IndieBio/SOSV and AgVentures Alliance. Proceeds from its ongoing fundraising round will further support development and commercialisation of its lead biopesticide, as well as generation of a pipeline of follow-up products.

Dr Alicia Showering, CEO of BugBiome, said: ‘This Innovate UK grant enables us to accelerate field validation of our lead bioinsecticide and core AvidX platform technology outside of the lab, important milestones for the company. Compelling data on the field effectiveness of our first product will drive BugBiome’s commercialisation and partnering activities.’

For further information please contact:

BugBiome

Dr Alicia Showering, CEO                                                              alicia@bugbiome.com

Mobile 07759 259449

About BugBiome

BugBiome is a biotechnology start-up harnessing the power of microbes to create novel pest protection solutions to protect crops. Their proprietary platform (AvidX) screens microbes for insecticidal activity by combining microbial characterisation and insect behavioural understanding to classify bioinsecticides based on function, enabling rapid discovery and development of novel microbial pest control agents. This approach aligns with the needs of modern agriculture while remaining committed to ecological balance and biodiversity conservation. Our lead product targets aphids, a major agricultural pest, aiming to provide farmers with an effective crop protection tool. For more information please go to www.bugbiome.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Niab

Niab is a leading UK crop science organisation, with rapidly expanding research capabilities in plant genetics, agronomy, farming systems and data science, the largest national field trials capability, and strong research links with industry, Government and academia. With headquarters in Cambridge, and regional offices across the country, employing more than 400 people across the UK, Niab provides scientific research, technical services and practical advice to improve the yield, efficiency and resilience of crop production across the arable, forage and horticulture sectors. www.niab.com

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