AmebaGone awarded USDA NIFA Phase II SBIR grant to further potato soft rot research

AmebaGone Invited to speak in London at the World Agri-Tech Summit

AmebaGone Partners with Hancock

How Madison startup AmebaGone helps farmers protect their crops

AmebaGone Completes LARTA Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP)

AmebaGone works with students from the University of Wisconsin Weinert School of Business to develop a commercialization plan for medical applications of Dicty

AmebaGone to pitch business model at AgTech Venture Day

AmebaGone is preparing to pitch its solution to the 50+ tons of heavy metal and antibiotic products sprayed on US cropland every year. AmebaGone was one of fifteen global companies selected to present on October 2. AgTech Venture Day will take place in Johnson Creek, WI and is hosted by Golden Angels Investors.

AmebaGone headed to the Pressure Chamber

AmebaGone has been chosen as one of five start-ups to present on August 16 before a panel of investors, business leaders, and a live audience. The pitch is part of Forward Fest put on by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.

AmebaGone awarded USDA NIFA Phase I SBIR to conduct potato soft rot research

Potatoes are the fourth most consumed crop in the world, after rice, wheat, and corn. In 2016 alone, 44B pounds of potatoes were produced in the USA with a production value of $3.9B. The problem:  each year, 22% of the total potato crop is lost to disease. In 2016, 2.65 billion pounds of potatoes produced in the US were compromised due to potato diseases and shrinkage. A major contributor to this loss is bacterial soft rot. Currently, there is no effective treatment for the disease once soft rot bacteria have infected plant tissue. According to the data from the USDA, the cost of potato loss in the US alone likely exceeded $230M in 2016, devastating growers, distributors, and facilities that store potatoes.

The solution: AmebaGone will develop a product to prevent soft rot of potato tubers during storage. Our approach utilizes microscopic predators called Dictyostelids, or "Dicty," which 'eat' bacteria. Acting independently, Dicty amoebae are single cells that seek out, engulf, and digest bacterial cells one by one until they are gone. Dicty amoebae can even feed on bacteria resistant to antibiotics or other conventional treatments, and bacteria protected within biofilms - structures built by bacteria to protect themselves from environmental assaults. Therefore, AmebaGone will identify specific strains of Dicty that most robustly consume bacteria that cause soft rot (Dickeya spp. and Pectobacterium spp.) and test their ability to prevent soft rot symptoms in potato tubers. This research will culminate in the first-ever treatment registered to prevent soft rot in any industry.

AmebaGone wins Life Science Category of the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest

AmebaGone uses benign organisms to attack pathogens in production crops

AmebaGone advances to Phase 2 of the Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest

AmebaGone has adavanced to the second round in a business plan competition aimed at encouraging entrepreneurs in the startup stage of tech-based businesses in Wisconsin. AmebaGone's plan outlines their efforts to bring a treatment for Potato soft rot to market, saving farmers and consumers by preventing millions of dollars of lost product.

AmebaGone awarded NIH Phase II SBIR grant to further Bacterial Keratitis treatment research

Bacterial Keratitis (BK) is an infection of the cornea that if left untreated can cause blindness. AmebaGone Inc. has received NIH funding to develop a prototype biotherapeutic for BK using microorganisms that naturally prey on bacteria, even those enmeshed in biofilms, which antibiotics cannot kill. This novel approach has far reaching implications to treat many more infectious diseases providing an alternative to conventional antibiotics.

This grant, supported by the National Eye Institute (NIH) and executed in collaboration between AmebaGone and Professor Curtis Brandt's laboratory in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Ophtalmology department, funds two years of study on the safety and efficacy of treatments for BK caused by several bacterial species.

Amebagone Inc. Selected to Present at the 2017 Ag Innovation Showcase (Sept 11-13) in St. Louis, MO

Amebagone Inc. has been selected by a panel of judges from LARTA to present at the 2017 Ag Innovation Showcase (AIS) at the Danforth Center in St. Louis, MO.  According to Clair Kinlaw, Phd, MBA, "This year’s applicant pool was our strongest to date" ... (Amebagone has "received one of only 22 presenting slots from over 60 very qualified applicants, reviewed by a Selection Committee comprised of industry leaders, investors and thought leaders, so it is an honor of which the firm should be proud!"

About the Showcase:  The Ag Innovation Showcase is the gold standard for community events in the sector. Since 2009 it has presented high-impact innovations from around the world, stimulating discussions about the future of Ag, and great opportunities for effective networking. The Showcase has expanded its footprint to include the annual host event in St. Louis, the new event in Davis, and other satellite meetings. This family of events will continue to be regarded as the “go to” gatherings for Ag innovation.

Amebagone Inc. Selected as Semi-Finalist in the 2017 Cleantech Open Midwest

The Midwest Region of the Cleantech Open is very pleased to announce our 25 semi-finalists for the 2017 Cleantech Open-Midwest accelerator!  Selected from a pool of over 120 candidates the 2017 teams hail from 10 of the 13 Cleantech Open-Midwest states including Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. And significantly 20% of the business teams are led by student CEO’s and 25% of the teams are led by female CEO’s. 

"The 2017 semi-finalists are outstanding with high quality companies in diverse technologies, industry sectors, and stage of business." said Sue Marshall, Chair of Judging for the Cleantech Open-Midwest.  Marshall adds, "We anticipate tremendous growth in these businesses as they participate in a three-day entrepreneurship academy in Boston or Silicon Valley, work with their carefully chosen mentors, attend our business clinic in Minneapolis and proceed through final judging during our Innovation Summit.”

“It's clear to me that the Cleantech Open-Midwest is moving companies with globally important missions to make larger impacts on the world," said Ian Rodricks, Recruiting Chair of the Cleantech Open-Midwest.  Rodricks adds, “Each Cleantech Open business team is focused on building their clean technology business idea into a clean technology employer. “

On behalf of the Cleantech Open-Midwest Board of Advisors congratulations to the 2017 Cleantech Open-Midwest Semi-finalists!

For more information please visit the Cleantech Open-Midwest website. Other questions, please contact Steve Webster, Executive Director, at swebster@cleantechopen.org

Amebagone Inc. Renews and Increases Qualified New Business Venture Certification from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

Amebagone Inc. is eligible for tax credits for Wisconsin investors of up to $500,000 for investments made prior to April 2018 through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC) Qualified New Business Venture (QNBV) program.

AmebaGone Inc. develops natural biocides, disinfectants and other treatments against bacterial pathogens that otherwise result in economic loss in agriculture and potentially loss of life. Our natural “predator” organisms consume dead or dormant bacteria and bacteria enmeshed in biofilms, thereby helping thwart proliferation of antibacterial resistance.

WEDC’s QNBV program provides a 25% tax credit on investments in qualified early-stage businesses by eligible angel and venture fund investors. “We are pleased that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation saw fit to renew and increase our tax credits available to investors”,  said Cheryl Vickroy, President and CEO of Amebagone. “We continue to make strong progress towards commercializing multiple products to treat agricultural bacterial pathogens causing loss of crops in Wisconsin and throughout the nation, including products aimed at cash crops crucial to the Wisconsin economy such as potatoes.” The certification term extends through March 31, 2018.

According to Aaron Hagar (WEDC’s Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation), the primary purpose of the QNBV Program is to foster the development of new, innovative companies, such as Amebagone, thereby creating opportunities for long-term growth and new job creation. In its 10-year history, the WEDC QNBV Program benefitted over 300 companies in their efforts to attract funding, grow and bring their innovative ideas to market.

About the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing Wisconsin’s business climate. Together with more than 600 regional and local business development partners, it represents a highly responsive and coordinated network. Visit InWisconsin.com

Study finds amoeba “grazing”, killing bacteria usually protected by film

AmebaGone is featured in an article on the WARF website! Dr. Marcin Filutowicz and his graduate student Dean Sanders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently published a paper in the Journal Protist showing the amazing phagocytic ability of amoebae, including the ability to feed on biofilms.

Check out the full article linked below:

Amebagone Receives SBIR Advance Award to match Phase II National Science Foundation Grant Award to Develop Treatments for Biological Pathogens of Pome Fruits and Vegetable Crops

Amebagone Inc. was awarded a matching state grant for $75K by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp, administered by the Center for Technology Commercialization.  This award is associated with a Phase II National Science Foundation Grant Award to Develop Treatments for Biological Pathogens of Pome Fruits and Vegetable Crop.  It will help pay for new patent filings associated with the work, for travel to partner sites, and for assistance with developing a plan to register products with the EPA. 

Cheryl Vickroy, President and CEO, gratefully accepted the award.  "Without the SBIR Advance State SBIR Match, we'd be unable to afford these activities that cannot be funded by the federal agency, but that are crucial for us to successfully commercialize our work.", said Vickroy.

Amebagone Inc. Receives Certification as a Qualified New Business Venture from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

Amebagone Inc. is eligible for tax credits for Wisconsin investors in the amount of $187,500 for investments made prior to April 2017 through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC) Qualified New Business Venture (QNBV) program.

AmebaGone Inc. develops natural biocides, disinfectants and other treatments against bacterial pathogens resulting in economic loss in agriculture and potentially loss of life. Our natural predator organisms consume dead or dormant bacteria and bacteria enmeshed in biofilms, thereby helping thwart proliferation of antibacterial resistance.

WEDC’s QNBV program provides a 25% tax credit on investments in qualified early-stage businesses by eligible angel and venture fund investors. “This is an important milestone in the growth of Amebagone.”, says Cheryl Vickroy, President of Amebagone. “Our plans are to commercialize multiple sanitizers and disinfectants against agricultural bacterial pathogens causing loss of crops in Wisconsin and throughout the nation, including products aimed at cash crops crucial to the Wisconsin economy such as potatoes.” The certification term extends through March 31, 2017.

According to Aaron Hagar (WEDC’s vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation), the primary purpose of the QNBV Program is to foster the development of new, innovative companies, such as Amebagone, thereby creating opportunities for long-term growth and new job creation. In its 10-year history, the WEDC QNBV Program benefitted over 300 companies in their efforts to attract funding, grow and bring their innovative ideas to market.

Amebagone Inc. awarded National Science Foundation SBIR Phase II funding to develop natural biocides

Amebagone Inc. was awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop natural biocides for treating bacterial pathogens in pome fruits and vegetable crops. This award follows a successfully completed Phase I project proving our approach effective in vitro and en planta against Erwinia Amylovora (E.a.) a pathogen that attacks apple and pear orchards.

Concerns about bacterial resistance resulted in a 2014 legislative ban on use of antibiotics in organic orchards, creating problems for growers.  Without effective solutions, growers will lose their organic status thus disrupting an established and growing industry.  AmebaGone is developing bio-control products that act like human immune cells to treat disease-causing infections in plants and people. Our approach completely consumes free-living AND dormant or persister bacterial cells including those encased in biofilms.

Our founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO),  Marcin Filutowicz, Ph.D. is a professor of bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He and Katarzyna Borys, Ph.D. first conceived of using a benign, soil-dwelling organism known as Dictyostelids (Dicty) as a natural predator of bacterial pathogens.  Their seminal work resulted in the issuance of two broad patents, now owned by the company covering multiple domains in agriculture, medicine, industry and beyond.  AmebaGone has licensed 3 collections of more than 3000 highly unique source material from many countries around the globe, much of which originated years ago (1936 and forward) and under conditions that no longer exist.  This allows us to develop highly specific point-source solutions.

The development and commercialization of AmebaGone’s technology is supported by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs of the National Science Foundation (Award No. IIP- 1534650) and the National Institutes of Health (Award No. 1 R41 EY024475-01A1).  For the NIH, we are developing a treatment for Bacterial Keratitis, a serious eye infection that can cause loss of sight.  This work was also supported by a micro-grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) through the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC). 

AmebaGone begins partnership with Dr. Curtis Brandt at the University of Wisconsin with Phase I STTR award from Natiional Institutes of Health.

In partnership with the University of Wisconsin, Dept. of Opthalmology department led by Dr. Curtis Brandt, AmebaGone has begun exploration of using Dictystelids as a treatment for bacterial eye infections that could result in loss of sight.  

This work is funded by a phase I Small Business Technology Transfer award underwritten by the National Eye Institute at the National Institues of Health.

AmebaGone incorporates as an S corporation

Effective January 1, 2015, AmebaGone is now an S Corporation registered in the state of Wisconsin.

AmebaGone executes license to Dicty collection of Dr. James Cavender of Ohio University.

AmebaGone has executed a licensing agreement with Dr. James Cavender of Ohio University for exclusive access to his collection of Dictystelids spanning the globe and curated since the 1930s.

AmebaGone executes exclusive license to Dicty collection at Shepherd University.

On November 1, 2014, AmebaGone executed an exclusive license to a robust collection of Dictystelids at Shepherd University in West Virgina.

AmebaGone's founder at the University of Wisconsin-Madison receives a grant from the State Economic Engagement and Development (SEED) Research Program titled "Reviving and screening Dictyostelid’s collection for new drug discovery and other commercial use at the firm.  

UW-Madison licenses Dr. Kenneth Raper's Archive (>2,000 Dicty strains) to Amebagone

Second US Patent issued to AmebaGone (8,715,641)

Wisconsin State Journal: "Finalists in the Biz Plan Contest include some familiar names."

US Patent Application No: 2014/0030,227

The present invention relates to amoebae (slime molds) and uses thereof. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of amoebae or their environmentally stable spores to treat microbial infections and other uses.

NSF Phase I SBIR awarded to AmebaGone

The National Sceince Foundation (NSF) has awarded a Phase I SBIR for just under $150K to AmebeGone LLC for its project titled "Biological treatment of orchards to combat fire blight (Erwina amylovora)".

US Patent Issued to AmebaGone

United States Patent no. 8,551,471 was issued to AmebaGone on Oct. 8, 2013 for "Therapeutic Amoeba and Uses Thereof."

University of Wisconsin College of Letters and Science: Amoeba biotherapy: "New approach to combat intractable bacterial infections"

Article in Grow Magazine.

Grow - Wisconsin's Magazine for the Life Sciences: "The Infection Eaters"

Grow Magazine | Marcin Filutowicz stumbled upon a potentially powerful biotherapy—using amoebas that feast on antibiotic-resistant bacteria to cure such ills as staph infections and diabetic ulcers.

Check out the full article linked below: