BIOTECHNOLOGY hen Fatma Kaplan discovered a particular species of microscopic roundworms had a mating pheromone , chemical signals that trigger mating behaviors , she knew it could have significant applications to control agricultural pests . It meant nematodes ’ pheromones could be used to manipulate their behavior . Microscopic roundworms , called nematodes , live in the soil and are the most abundant animals on Earth . Some are beneficial and kill agricultural pests , while others are harmful and feed on the roots of crops .
In 2008 , Kaplan published her research in the journal Nature , and the U . S . Department of Agriculture hired her to apply the discovery to control the root-knot nematode , a pest responsible for $ 90 billion in global crop loss annually , according to research in The Journal of Nematology . But her temporary position ended in 2012 , as government funds began to shrink .
Then , in 2017 , Kaplan cofounded Pheronym and is CEO of the Davis -based company , the first in the world to use nematode pheromones to control agricultural pests . She focuses on dispersal pheromones , which trigger nematodes to search for food , enabling her to capitalize on the commercial market for beneficial nematodes already in place . Farmers purchase and spray beneficial nematodes over agricultural fields to boost the soil ’ s health and ecosystem .
Activating the nematodes with pheromones using Pheronym ’ s first product , Nemastim , which is expected to hit the market in 2022 , boosts their ability to disperse into the soil deeper and farther and makes them more effective at infecting pests in the soil with a bacteria that kills them . The technology addresses major agricultural challenges . It provides a replacement for chemical pesticides , which pollute the planet and kill the organisms responsible for soil health , as efforts to ban toxic pesticides sweep the globe . In 2015 , methyl bromide was phased out globally among United Nations countries , and while some neonicotinoids are still used in the
“ If you ’ re a biotech company … the scientist has the vision how to make it , at least in the early stages . I cannot think of anyone ( else ) who would be able to have the passion and the vision to lead the company and express that vision .”
FATMA KAPLAN Cofounder and CEO , Pheronym
U . S ., the last of five formerly approved for use in 2013 were banned in the European Union in 2020 . Pheronym ’ s technology gives beneficial nematodes more ammunition to naturally control agricultural pests , which continue to spread as the climate warms .
Pheronym has raised more than $ 1 million in funding , with the majority coming from grants , including the National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research program , and signed a five-year cooperative research and business development agreement with the USDA in November 2020 . Despite proof of concept and innovative technology that aligns with a growing awareness and adoption of eco-friendly agricultural practices , Kaplan has yet to secure traditional venture capital .
It ’ s a common thread for women in an industry in which most of the wealth and power has been controlled by white men . According to Pitchbook , a financial data and software company based in Seattle , women founders received 2.7 percent of venture capital invested in 2019 . Despite the gap in gender ( and racial ) equity , women founders in the Capital Region are developing groundbreaking technology in biotech and ag-tech , emerging industries where territory is still uncharted and that may provide the opportunity for women to secure equity in these markets .
Kaplan , who was born and raised in Turkey and has a Ph . D . in plant molecular and cellular biology from the University of Florida , says she always has to convince people she ’ s the right person to be CEO of her company . As a woman , she says , people perceive her in a supportive role rather than the lead , and when they see she is CEO , they expect her to have a business degree . “ But if you ’ re a biotech company … the scientist has the vision how to make it , at least in the early stages ,” she says . “ I cannot think of anyone ( else ) who would be able to have the passion and the vision to lead the company and express that vision .”
Landing seed funds
Kaplan ’ s philosophy resonates with San Francisco-based science ac-
80 comstocksmag . com | March 2021