Discovering New Insecticides From Microbial Diversity

BugBiome is an agricultural biotechnology company discovering and developing new insecticides from microbes.

Based at Norwich Research Park, our team combines microbiology, entomology and data science to identify new sources of insecticidal activity and advance promising discoveries towards commercial crop protection.

Our ambition is to provide growers with new options for controlling important agricultural pests, particularly where resistance is reducing the effectiveness of established insecticides.

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Our Products

Our Story

From Insect–Microbe Research to Insecticide Discovery

BugBiome grew from the research of Dr Alicia Showering at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigated how microbes associated with humans influence the behaviour of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.

Her research demonstrated the importance of microbial communities in insect–host interactions and provided the scientific foundations for new approaches to insect control.

Together with co-founder Chris Mosedale, Alicia established BugBiome to translate this research into practical technologies.

The company developed advanced insect phenotyping capabilities and expanded its research into the discovery of microbial insecticides for agricultural pests.

Today, BugBiome combines microbial functional profiling, standardised insect screening and connected discovery data to search microbial diversity systematically.

Each experiment adds to our understanding of microbial function and insect response, helping direct subsequent discovery and development.

Our Progress

Building the scientific, technical and commercial foundations for a new generation of microbial insecticides.

2024

Investment & Early Development

BugBiome secured £310,000 in pre-seed investment from Cambridge Angels and Discovery Park Ventures, alongside Innovate UK support for research into microbial crop protection.

2025

Expanding Our Capabilities

BugBiome relocated to Norwich Research Park and established a collaboration with NIAB to evaluate a lead microbial insecticide against aphids in sugar beet.

2026

Broadening the Pipeline

BugBiome secured £500,000 in Innovate UK funding for a collaborative project targeting cabbage stem flea beetle, working with the John Innes Centre, Harper Adams University and Applied Insect Science.

Our People

Our team brings together experience in microbiology, entomology, biotechnology development and commercialisation.

Dr Alicia Showering

Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer

Alicia holds a PhD in Disease Control from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her research into insect–microbe interactions provided the scientific foundation for BugBiome. She leads the company’s scientific direction, strategy and commercial development.

Chris Mosedale

Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer

Chris has a background in molecular and cellular biology, biotechnology commercialisation and venture development. His experience spans early-stage life science companies, investment and technology translation. At BugBiome, he works across discovery technology, product strategy, intellectual property and commercial partnerships.

Advisers

Dr Simon Aspland

Ag-tech Advisor

A serial entrepreneur and strategic consultant specializing in biotechnology and innovation. He recently served as CEO of Isomerase (July 2023-April 2024) and previously held positions as Head of Commercialisation at the John Innes Centre and Non-Executive Director at Leaf Expression Systems. He focuses on venture building, technology transfer, and supporting organizations in commercializing research, particularly in sustainability and therapeutics. He is currently CEO of Onmiddan as of May 2024.

Professor Tom Pope

Entomology Advisor

A Reader in Entomology who specializes in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). He teaches courses on insect physiology, behavior, and plant health management at the MSc level. His research interests include biological control, biopesticides, insect behavior, and plant-insect interactions. He is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, chairs the BCPC Expert Working Group on Pests and Beneficials, and is a member of several professional organizations including the Insecticide Resistance Action Group.

Dr Roma Gwynn

Regulatory Advisor

An expert in biorational technologies with MSc and PhD degrees from Reading University. She specializes in developing and registering new biopesticides and biological control methods. She serves as Vice President of the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association and holds various advisory positions, including board membership of the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. She has contributed significantly to international regulatory guidance for biorationals and edited “The Manual of Biocontrol Agents.” She holds prestigious recognitions including Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies.

Dr Clément Champion

Technical Advisor

Clément Champion, PhD, is a scientific entrepreneur and R&D strategist in crop protection. He co-founded MoA Technology, co-generated the foundational IP, and led biology R&D as CSO, contributing to >£45m in funding and multiple platform launches. He is now Deputy Scientific Director at Groupe Roullier and serves on advisory boards for ag-biotech ventures. Clément has 2 international patents and 9 peer-reviewed publications (including PNAS, New Phytologist, Current Biology) and is a Clarendon Scholar (University of Oxford). At BugBiome, he advises on discovery design, mechanism of action interpretation, and scaling collaborations.

Research & Collaboration

BugBiome works with leading research institutions, agricultural specialists and commercial partners to advance the discovery and development of new insecticides.

Our collaborations span insect biology, microbial discovery, active-material characterisation, fermentation, formulation and independent field validation.

Discuss a Collaboration

Research Collaborators

NIAB

John Innes Centre

Harper Adams University

Applied Insect Science

Research Support

Innovate UK

Investors & Supporters

Supported by Cambridge Angels, Discovery Park Ventures and SOSV

Work With Us

We welcome interest from scientists, engineers and commercial specialists working across microbiology, entomology, data science and agricultural biotechnology.

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