Invaio Sciences Announces New License Agreement with the University of California for Novel Biocontrol of Citrus Greening

Invaio Sciences, Inc., a Flagship portfolio company focused on unlocking the potential of the planet's interdependent natural systems to solve pressing agriculture, nutrition and environmental challenges, Tuesday announced a new, exclusive world-wide license agreement with the University of California (UC-Riverside) for a novel technology developed by Professor Hailing Jin at the University of California Riverside.

The technology is proven to control the pathogen that causes HLB/Citrus Greening - a severe plant disease carried by an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid that has dramatically and rapidly threatened the citrus industry by devastating millions of acres of citrus crops throughout the United States and abroad.

"Invaio is enthusiastic to partner with UC Riverside and advance this innovative technology to develop solutions for combating the disease HLB/Citrus Greening," said Dr. Gerardo Ramos, Chief Science Officer at Invaio Science from his Basel, Switzerland offices. "Our novel approach with a focus on natural-based solutions in connection with plant and soil health will revolutionize agricultural practices in far more beneficial ways for the health of people and the planet. This relationship with UC Riverside will allow us to continue to learn from nature and enable biologicals to perform in a sustainable and reliable way. The prospects of addressing this type of incurable devastating crop disease to help agricultural communities and improve the environmental impact of production is exciting and rewarding."

The innovation that Invaio will now license from UC Riverside harnesses naturally-occurring compounds called anti-microbial peptides produced naturally by citrus trees, that have been shown in extensive studies conducted by Dr. Jin, to kill the bacteria responsible for HLB in infected trees, and essentially "curing" infected trees. Dr. Jin, a professor of genetics, microbiology and plant pathology at UC Riverside, studies the molecular mechanisms of plant immunity and pathogen virulence, with the goal of developing effective and environmentally friendly strategies to control plant diseases and to ensure sufficient food production.

This agreement extends Invaio's proprietary capabilities in direct delivery of biologics in trees, to combat this devastating disease. Under the terms of this agreement, UC has granted Invaio an exclusive, world-wide license with the rights to sublicense to this novel technology to develop and deploy products needed by the industry.

Invaio Sciences has pioneered a novel approach to managing insect populations in a more sustainable and targeted way by controlling the nutritional function organ called the obligate microbial symbiont (OMS) to alter insect health. This new approach, coupled with the deep understanding of the inner workings of insects by Invaio's diverse team of scientists, holds the potential to dramatically reduce the need for pesticide use globally—benefiting our agriculture, health and environment.

Invaio's focus on precision delivery allows the company to take a more mindful approach to insect management. For biological delivery, Invaio leverages naturally derived systems that can be used to produce, protect, and deliver a variety of active molecules—all of which are biodegradable. The approach may also include a physical delivery system built upon proprietary 3D-printed injection tips that deliver biological active molecules into a crop vascular system, where they rapidly move throughout the plant for maximum protection.