Spearhead Bio Awarded NSF Tech Transfer Grant to Accelerate Development of Improved Corn Varieties
Startup leads next generation precision crop improvement using plant’s natural genome evolution
ST. LOUIS, MO, July 14, 2025 - Spearhead Bio, a biotechnology startup revolutionizing crop genome engineering through the use of plants' own natural DNA, has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The funding will support efforts to reduce the time and cost required to generate improved corn varieties capable of addressing emerging agricultural challenges.
Corn is the most profitable row crop in the United States, representing the highest commercial potential for genetic innovation. However, responding to field challenges—such as a new pest or disease—currently requires up to 16 years and $115 million to develop new, effective corn lines. Spearhead Bio’s breakthrough platform aims to dramatically shorten that timeline.
At the heart of the company’s innovation is Transposase Assisted Homology Independent Targeted Insertion (TAHITI), a proprietary technology that enables the precise and seamless insertion of genes into both transgenic and non-transgenic crops. TAHITI has already been demonstrated in model plants, soybean, and other species, and this grant allows Spearhead Bio to apply it to corn sooner than anticipated.
“The STTR Award will propel Spearhead forward by providing us full-scale resources to go into corn earlier than planned,” said Spearhead Bio Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Keith Slotkin, PhD. “We will generate the biological machinery needed for custom genome engineering in corn, transform corn plants, and analyze the resulting plants. The anticipated technical result is rapid and targeted genome engineering in corn plants.”
The commercial potential for Spearhead Bio’s platform extends beyond accelerating current pipelines—it opens the door to a new paradigm in cost-effective, rapid, and precise crop improvement.
Spearhead Bio was launched in 2025 by the Danforth Technology Company based on groundbreaking research from the Slotkin Laboratory at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Slotkin, a Principal Investigator at the Center, is the inventor of the TAHITI technology.
About Spearhead Bio
Spearhead Bio leads the next generation of powerful native genome engineering tools to accelerate the development and launch of new transgenic & non-transgenic crops. Learn more at spearheadbio.com
About the Danforth Technology Company
The Danforth Technology Company (DTC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Donald Danforth. Plant Science Center that facilitates early-stage development of startup companies based on Danforth Center technologies. DTC connects research and discovery to commercial impact by catalyzing partnerships between scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors, and by providing initial management and financial support to its startups. Learn more at danforthtechnology.com
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. Research, education and outreach aim to have an impact at the nexus of food security and the environment, and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, the Gates Foundation and through the support of individuals and corporations. Learn more at danforthcenter.org
Media contact: Karla Roeber, kroeber@danforthcenter.org