Here’s the mission of Oerth Bio – agtech startup led by John Dombrosky

DURHAM – In launching Oerth Bio under the direction of CEO John Dombrosky, who formerly led the AgTech Accelerator in RTP, Bayer and partner Arvinas outlined an aggressive agtech agenda.

The company, which has hired three additional senior executives, is among the newest and growing number of agriculture-focused technology firms located in the Triangle.

Here’s how the company describes its mission:

“Oerth Bio is a joint venture between Arvinas and Bayer, supported by over $55 million in committed funding and operational support from Bayer, and technology and intellectual property from Arvinas.

“Oerth Bio is taking a unique therapeutic approach to these challenges by addressing the health of our crops from the inside out without modifying any genetic information. Within every living organism – human, plant, animal, insect, or microbe – a natural protein management system is continuously at work to recycle proteins into their basic components.

“Oerth Bio is harnessing this system via a proprietary technology platform known as proteolysis targeting chimeras, or PROTAC® targeted protein degraders. Our two joint-venture partners, Arvinas and Bayer recognized that PROTAC® protein degraders have the potential to protect and improve the health of our global food system. Arvinas, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has pioneered research into PROTAC targeted protein degraders, turning targeted protein degradation into one of the most promising areas of medical research and challenging the perceived limits of drug discovery.

“Our mission at Oerth Bio is to translate this PROTAC technology platform into a cleaner, healthier, and more abundant food system.”