Elysia Creative Biology

Elysia Creative Biology, founded in 2021 by Eli Hornstein, is a Raleigh-based agricultural technology firm focused on mitigating climate change by addressing methane emissions from livestock. The founder's journey from a conservation biologist to a genetic engineer shapes the company's core mission. Hornstein, a PhD in plant biology from North Carolina State University, witnessed firsthand the pressures of agriculture on the environment during his international conservation work and decided to pivot into ag-tech to create scalable solutions. His expertise in agricultural synthetic biology, gained through work on biofuels and alternative proteins, led to the formation of Elysia.

The company's primary business is the genetic engineering of common feed crops, like corn, to contain compounds that suppress the production of methane in the digestive systems of cattle and other ruminants. This approach targets the second-largest source of methane emissions globally, which contributes more to global warming than shipping, aviation, and deforestation combined. Rather than selling additives directly to farmers, Elysia's business model involves providing its modified seeds to crop producers who supply the broader animal feed market. This strategy ensures the technology seamlessly integrates into the existing agricultural supply chain without requiring new practices or equipment from livestock farmers.

The core product is a proprietary biotechnology that enables feed crops to produce anti-methanogenic compounds, such as bromoform, which is naturally found in seaweed. This built-in solution eliminates the need for expensive, factory-made supplements and makes the technology affordable and easy to scale globally. Early lab trials have demonstrated a near-total methane elimination of up to 96%. The company is a part of the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative's Seed2Grow program and operates out of NC State's Plant Sciences Building. Elysia has secured funding, including a $100,000 loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in late 2023 to validate its technology, and grants from Spark Climate and the NSF. The company is currently focused on securing additional capital for farm trials to test its modified corn in a real-world setting.

Keywords: methane reduction, livestock emissions, agricultural biotechnology, genetic engineering, feed crops, climate tech, sustainable agriculture, ruminant methanogenesis, Eli Hornstein, synthetic biology, animal feed, carbon footprint reduction, green agriculture, ag-tech, crop science, climate change mitigation, biosynthesis, bromoform, corn feed, NC State