For Agragene, a company bringing revolutionary agricultural technology to market, the decision to move from the West Coast to St. Louis was both practical and personal. The team of scientists and entrepreneurs had developed a groundbreaking pest-control solution, but needed an environment with the right mix of resources, industry expertise, and support to move their work from proof of concept to commercialization. They also needed a location that would be attractive to scientists and entrepreneurs.
In part, the decision was driven by economics. "One of the challenges was how expensive it was to develop our technology in San Diego," says Bryan Witherbee, CEO. "The pure science was fascinating, but we weren’t meeting our goals. You stub your toe every once in a while, and we simply needed more time," he explains. "The move to St. Louis made it affordable to extend our runway and truly perfect the technology before going to market.”
For Stephanie Gamez, Director of Research, the decision to move to St. Louis was also very personal; it was about the future of Agragene and the future of her family. A brilliant scientist and Ph.D. graduate of the University of California, she had spent years refining a more advanced gene-editing process. But as passionate as she was about finding the right environment to scale the work, she was equally passionate about finding the right community to grow her career and family. Stephanie and her husband, Matthew Croxford, also a Ph.D. biologist, longed for a home, stability, and the ability to raise a family in an affordable and welcoming community.
That vision was impossible in San Diego. Housing was too expensive, and commutes were too long. In April 2022, Stephanie and Matthew packed up their two cats, Stephanie’s prized fruit flies, and hit the road to St. Louis.
Their cross-country journey was not without adventure. On the first night, they found themselves in the chilly New Mexico desert, realizing their fruit flies—integral to Stephanie’s work—might not survive the cold. In the middle of the night, she and Matthew sneaked the flies and their cats into a hotel room, ensuring their tiny cargo stayed warm and safe. Once in St. Louis, they found the scientific community close-knit and collaborative.
Just a few years later, their gamble has paid off. Stephanie and Matthew, now parents to a two-year-old daughter, have found everything they were looking for in St. Louis: a thriving biotech community, meaningful careers, an affordable lifestyle, and a network of like-minded scientists dedicated to bringing innovation to life. The move has been a success for Agragene as well.
A key player in Agragene’s success has been BioGenerator, a startup accelerator that invests in promising companies and entrepreneurs. "BioGenerator was instrumental in helping us access the right resources," Witherbee explains. "If you’re a startup here, you can reach out to them and get connected to companies that have done it before. That network is incredibly powerful."
BioGenerator’s support extended beyond mentorship. Their labs provided access to critical facilities, allowing Agragene to conduct research and development without the overhead of building their own infrastructure. "Having access to those labs and experts who understand what it takes to bring a scientific innovation to market—that was huge," Witherbee says.
The network also helped with one of the most complex aspects of commercialization: regulatory approvals. "We’re at the stage where we need to get our product registered and ensure people understand that it’s safe," Witherbee explains. "That means working with regulatory experts and even folks lobbying in D.C. to help us navigate that landscape. Having that expertise here in St. Louis has been invaluable."
"We’re gearing up to launch in the U.S. first, then expand to key agricultural regions like Mexico and Argentina," Witherbee says. "Moving to St. Louis made all the difference. What started as a promising concept is now a real solution—one that can help farmers protect their crops, reduce chemical use, and build a more sustainable future for agriculture."
The Agragene story is a triple win—cutting-edge science, a thriving startup community, and a better quality of life for the people driving innovation forward—all in St. Louis’s backyard.
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