Creating Access to Cutting Edge Technology to Support Global Innovators
ST. LOUIS, MO., October 14, 2025 – The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center today announced the first awardees of the Core Facilities Access Fund – an initiative of Cultivar STL designed to advance research and open doors for startups in Latin America. The new fund provides selected startups access to world-class infrastructure at the Danforth Center Core Facilities helping to accelerate breakthroughs, validate technologies, and build global connections in the Heartland. The Fund was established thanks to generous support from Breakthrough Energy Discovery.
“Our Core Facilities provide not only unique technologies, but the experts to apply them,” said Katie Murphy, PhD, director Phenotyping Core Facility at the Danforth Center, who manages the Access Fund. “The selected projects are a great fit for our capabilities to de-risk and validate their products, as well as work toward a common goal of solving challenges in agriculture.”
Startups were selected via a competitive selection process, enabled by many partners in the St. Louis ag innovation ecosystem. Utilizing the Cultivar STL network, companies from six Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador) applied to utilize the Core Facilities Fund. The Yield Lab Institute and BioSTL joined Core Facility Directors in a competitive selection committee and provided operational support throughout the process. Two startups were selected from Argentina and Costa Rica.
“The Core Facilities Access Fund is a direct outcome of the strategic vision of Cultivar and the hard work of many committed partners across the St. Louis ecosystem,” said Stephanie Regagnon, executive director, The Yield Lab Institute. “By connecting world-class science with community resources, we’re able to provide critical research support for two very promising technologies. We are deeply grateful to Breakthrough Energy Discovery for their leadership and commitment to advancing agricultural innovation from Latin America.”
APOLO Biotech (Argentina) utilizes an RNA-based technology to provide plant protection and performance. This technology can provide sustainable solutions to crop losses worldwide. This project will utilize the Danforth Center’s unique, high-throughput phenotyping capabilities, and engage with the data science and plant growth facilities to evaluate the effect of APOLO’s product on plant health and water use in a new application of their technology.
Innovaciones Circulares (Costa Rica) has developed a modular, small-scale reactor to recover phosphorus fertilizer from swine farms. This technology both treats wastewater and provides farmers with a limited and costly resource - phosphorus fertilizer - closing the loop on this resource. This project will evaluate the Innovaciones Circulares fertilizer compared to standard regimes, measuring plant health and growth from multiple aspects working with the Danforth Center’s Bioanalytical Chemistry, Phenotyping, Data Science and Plant Growth Facilities.
“We will continue to support APOLO Biotech and Innovaciones Circulares as they advance their innovations, and our hope is that when they are ready to establish a presence in the U.S., they will look to St. Louis as their home base,” said Isabel Acevedo, manager of technology-based economic development, BioSTL.
Danforth Center Core Facilities provide services to internal users, external academic labs, and companies as both self-service equipment rental and full-service experimentation and analyses. Our Core Directors are also Principal Investigators, who research and apply advanced technologies with the support of private and federal grants. To learn more about how you can utilize Core Facilities services, pricing and availability, visit the Core Facilities database.
About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a nonprofit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. The Center’s research, education, and outreach efforts focus on food security and environmental sustainability, positioning the St. Louis region as a global leader in plant science. The Center is supported by funding from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, The Gates Foundation and the generosity of individuals, corporation and foundation donors. For more information, visit danforthcenter.org.
About The Yield Lab Institute
Founded in 2018, The Yield Lab Institute (YLI) is an agrifood think tank dedicated to supporting and advancing global agtech startups, entrepreneurs and ecosystems. YLI fosters and facilitates open innovation, thought leadership and global ecosystem connectivity through its core programming: H.A.R.V.E.S.T. AgTech and Cultivar. Headquartered in St. Louis, YLI is the non-profit affiliate of The Yield Lab Group, a family of global venture capital funds in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific investing in early stage agtech. For more information on The Yield Lab Institute, our mission and our programs, please visit: www.theyieldlabinstitute.org.
About BioSTL
Founded in 2001, BioSTL is a nationally recognized engine for innovation and growth in St. Louis’ bioscience economy. The organization converts the region’s world-class research strengths into high-growth startups, connects St. Louis to global hubs of innovation, and builds a robust “Education to Workforce” pipeline to ensure a skilled, diverse talent base. Through its startup arm, BioGenerator, BioSTL has supported more than 400 startups—making over $50 million in early-stage investments that have attracted $3 billion in follow-on capital, 85% from outside the region. These efforts have created thousands of high-quality jobs, advanced breakthroughs in human health and plant science, and enhanced St. Louis’ reputation as a global leader in bioscience innovation. Learn more at www.biostl.org.
About Breakthrough Energy Discovery
Breakthrough Energy Discovery is the pre-venture innovation arm of Breakthrough Energy, focusing on advancing emerging climate technologies at the earliest stages. Through its three core programs—Workshops, Ecosystem Grants, and the global Fellows program—BE Discovery provides philanthropic funding, tailored support, and connections to help innovators turn bold ideas into scalable solutions.
Media contact:
Karla Roeber, kroeber@danforthcenter.org