Climate vaccine developer ArkeaBio has raised $26.5 million in Series A funding, the company announced last week. ArkeaBio aims to fight climate change by vaccinating livestock.
Suppressing methane emissions
A vaccine being developed by the company is designed to prevent animals from releasing methane emissions. Once vaccinated with the AkreaBio shot, an animal’s immune system is supposed to create antibodies that will target methane-producing microbes.
The Boston-based startup secured its first major investment in late 2022 from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, an investment fund founded by billionaire Bill Gates.
“Our vaccination-based approach allows for much-needed decarbonization of global meat and dairy products across multiple geographies, supporting greater sustainability in agriculture,” the company explains on its website.
Pharma industry eyes climate vaccines for humans
While ArkeaBio hopes to deploy the vaccines worldwide for livestock, it has not yet announced plans to develop climate vaccines for humans.
But human-targeted climate vaccines do appear to be in the works. Researchers at Gingko Bioworks, a biotech firm also backed by Gates, have floated mRNA injections as a measure to mitigate the impact of global warming. The World Economic Forum has also expressed support for climate vaccines.
The biggest push, however, is coming from the pharmaceutical industry, as vaccine makers claim vaccines are a “critical response to the climate crisis.” In December, pharmaceutical giant GSK wrote on its website that “[i]n the face of climate change, vaccines play a crucial but underestimated role.”
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