BioBond Accelerates the Transition to Biobased Fingernail Adhesives with Better Performance, Better Pricing and Safer and Healthier for Everyone

BioBond Adhesives, Inc. (“BioBond”), a leading innovator in biobased adhesives and protective coatings, today announced the launch of BioMelt™, a revolutionary new biobased adhesive for artificial fingernails. Developed to provide a strong, long-lasting hold while prioritizing environmental sustainability, BioBond sets a new standard for performance and eco-consciousness in the beauty industry.

Unlike traditional nail glues that rely on synthetic and often harsh chemicals, BioBond is formulated with a proprietary blend of plant-derived materials, offering a high-performance, non-toxic, and biodegradable alternative according to Greg Piche, Vice President of Products.  The product’s development reflects BioBond’s commitment to creating high-quality, effective products that align with the growing consumer demand for safer, healthier yet sustainable options.

“We saw a significant gap in the market for a nail adhesive that was not only incredibly effective but also truly sustainable,” says Dr. Clayton Westerman, Chief Science Officer at BioBond. “BioMelt is the culmination of years of research and development, and we are incredibly proud to offer a product that delivers a professional-grade hold without compromising on our environmental values. It’s a game changer for anyone who loves nail art but wants to make a conscious choice for the planet.”

The new adhesive is designed for easy application and removal, minimizing damage to the natural nail. “Its fast-drying formula provides a secure bond that stands up to daily activities, ensuring that manicures look flawless for longer,” said Brad Boelkins, Vice President of Business Development for adhesives at BioBond. This superior performance is a testament to the power of bio-based innovation.

“Consumers are increasingly looking for products that are not only good for them but also good for the environment,” says Marc McConnaughey, CEO of BioBond. “BioBond is a perfect example of how sustainable science can meet and even exceed the performance of traditional products. We believe this product will not only redefine the nail adhesive category but also inspire a new wave of bio-based solutions across the beauty industry.”

These new BioMelt plant-based solutions are available for sampling in Q4-2025 and will be on display at BioBond’s booth at PackExpo in Las Vegas September 29th to October 1st.

BioBond is the second portfolio company launched by Big Idea Ventures’ Generation Food Rural Partners I, LP (GFRP) Fund and is based in Lafayette, Indiana.

As consumers shift their preferences toward healthier food options, there is ripe opportunity for innovators in the CPG snack market. This week, we are joined by NutriPop co-founders Ujaswin Jain and Audrey Chung to talk food is health, student entrepreneurship and seizing the moment. We get into:  

GREENFIELD, Ind. (Sept. 8, 2025) – Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) has announced significant advancements with its two most recent pet health innovations — Credelio Quattro and Zenrelia — further demonstrating the company’s commitment to helping pet owners and veterinarians around the world go beyond today’s standard of treatment.

Credelio Quattro, Elanco’s latest parasite innovation brought to market, became Elanco’s fastest pet health blockbuster in history and one of the industry’s fastest ever, especially with a single geographic approval, reaching blockbuster status of $100 million in net sales in less than eight months. Credelio Quattro offers the broadesti parasite protection available in an isoxazoline endectocide covering six types of parasites — fleas, ticks, heartworm disease, and three risky intestinal parasites — roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms.

“Credelio Quattro continues to break boundaries when it comes to offering veterinarians and pet owners parasite protection,” said Bobby Modi, Executive Vice President, U.S. Pet Health and Global Digital Transformation at Elanco. “We’re seeing incredibly strong demand for all-in-one products from pet owners and veterinarians alike. In fact, Credelio Quattro captured approximately 14% of the dollar share in broad-spectrum sales out of U.S. veterinary clinics in June. The introduction of Credelio Quattro has bolstered our broader Elanco portfolio in U.S. veterinary clinics, with Elanco now offering veterinarians a complete ecto, endo, and endecto portfolio with a variety of parasite coverage at a variety of price points to meet veterinarian and pet owner needs.”

Human and pet cases of tickborne disease, such as Lyme disease which is spread by the black-legged tick, are on the rise. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), black-legged ticks are found across much of the eastern half of the United States, with aggressive populations in the North that appear to pose a higher risk of transmitting Lyme disease to humans and dogs; and these populations are also spreading South and West in the United States, as well as northward into new areas of Canada. Multiple studies have shown that areas of high risk for dogs are the same areas that humans are most likely to test positive for Lyme disease as well. CAPC recommends using products on pets that repel or quickly kill ticks before pathogens are transmitted. Credelio Quattro (lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel chewable tablets) also contains lotilaner that kills ticksii fasteriii than sarolaner in Simparica Trio® and afoxolaner in NexGard®, protecting dogs against pathogen-carrying ticks.

“When I talk to veterinarians and pet owners, I hear they want something that’s reliable, that’s going to be easy to give and that’s powerful against the different parasites: heartworms, ticks, and intestinal parasites including hookworms and tapeworms,” said Dr. Lindsay Starkey, veterinarian and tenured Associate Professor of Parasitology at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “Credelio Quattro meets all of these expectations with its broad spectrum parasite control.”

Credelio Quattro joins Experior® as Elanco’s second of six recently launched blockbuster-potential products to reach the blockbuster milestone of $100 million annual net sales. Elanco continues to prepare to take Credelio Quattro global, with numerous submissions made in Australia, Canada, the EU, the UK, and Japan, setting up the company’s expected geographic expansion for the product starting in 2026.

Zenrelia Now in Market in EU and Great Britain

Zenrelia, an effective, convenient, and safe once-daily oral JAK inhibitor, continues its launch progress globally, gaining approval from the United Kingdom’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate in August. Additionally, launch progress continues across the EU and Great Britain with product supply now in market for veterinarians and pet owners.

“Now we have a medication that is once a day right from the start. I think it will really help improve that owner, patient, pet bond, it will hopefully help reduce caregiver burden and will improve patient and carer quality of life as well,” said Dr. Victoria Robinson BVM&S, BSc, CertAVP (VD), DipECVD, MRCVS, RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology. “Knowing what I currently know about Zenrelia, I am keen to use it in the clinic and start prescribing it.”

This launch represents a pivotal milestone within the international canine dermatology market, offering a single daily dose for controlling pruritus (itching) associated with allergic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis in dogs over 12 months of age. Zenrelia is now available in the European Union, Great Britain, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and the United States. The Zenrelia EU label is consistent with other markets outside North America where the product has already been approved.

“Zenrelia joins our exciting, growing international pet health portfolio, including AdTab, Credelio Plus, Galliprant (grapiprant tablets) and others,” said Ramiro Cabral, Executive Vice President, Elanco International. “We are very pleased with the results we are seeing in the global market, with more than half a million dogs treated with Zenrelia.”

As part of the EU approval process, Elanco conducted a head-to-head non-inferiority study versus the marketplace incumbent, Apoquel. The randomized, double-blind study of 338 client-owned dogs with confirmed atopic dermatitis was conducted across 25 study sites in four countries. The study is published in a leading peer-reviewed, international journal, Veterinary Dermatology: https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.13319.

From innovation pipeline movement to Series B funding, leadership changes and so much more, BiomEdit is on the move. This week, CEO Aaron Schacht joins Agbioscience to talk scientific discovery, artificial intelligence, creating “and” solutions and how he approaches adding to his team in a meaningful way. Highlights include:

Insignum AgTech, a crop biotechnology company, today announced the successful closing of its Series Seed funding round, raising $2.4 M led by Innova Memphis, with participation from Elevate Ventures, Purdue Strategic Ventures, and others, including the first ever investment from the newly-formed FFA Ventures fund.

Insignum creates new genes out of plant DNA that enables crops to turn color in the early stages of a specific stress, such as disease. The first gene causes corn to turn purple at the site of infection seven or more days before symptoms of the disease are apparent. Research has proven it does not react to other stresses, such as insect attack or physical damage. Growers and agronomists are empowered to address the problem Exactly when the true problem begins, before visible symptoms, Precisely where to determine priority zones or fields, and Only if needed by using data driven decisions yielding improved ROI and confidence in crop management.

Insignum’s technology has been successfully field-tested for five years, the past three in collaboration with Beck’s Hybrids. Testing in 2025 includes an additional leading seed company and the farmer-owned Keystone Cooperative. Stakeholders were invited to witness Insignum’s revolutionary system in person at their 2025 Field Day on August 13th near Lebanon, Indiana.

“Insignum’s ability to give growers a visual, actionable alert is revolutionary,” said Dean Didato, partner at Innova Memphis. “By enabling precision agriculture to spot fungal pressure and treat appropriately ‘Exactly when, Precisely where, and Only if’ required, their technology is set to transform crop management and promote sustainable farming practices.”

As a result of these successful field trials, Insignum will use funds to advance their first trait through their commercial pipeline. In addition, they will begin development of a disease-signaling trait for canola.

To deliver these milestones, Insignum has hired several new employees.

Chris Cook, Insignum’s Director of Commercial Operations, started in June. Chris rose to Syngenta’s™ Head of Business Development for North America, where he signed key partnerships with Fortune 500 food and fuel companies.

  1. Pon Samuel, Ph.D., started in September as Insignum’s Chief Innovation Officer. Pon had an illustrious career as a Distinguished Laureate at Corteva Agriscience™, most notably as one of the inventors of their Enlist E3® crop trait.

“I’m excited about the years ahead for agriculture and Insignum,” said Kyle Mohler, Founder & CEO. “Challenging times lend themselves to finding new solutions. Data driven decisions based on advanced notification of crop stresses will be transformational for agriculture.  Exactly when. Precisely where. Only if.”

The global GMO testing market was valued at $3.9 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $6.2 billion by 2031.  With current processes costing time and money, there is a massive opportunity for innovation in genetic detection that benefits grain distributors, seed suppliers and ultimately – the farmer and consumer. Today we are joined by Ryan Skaar, COO of NanoBio Designs, to talk their platform technology and winning AgriNovus’ Velocity accelertor. We get into:

Earlier FFAR-funded research laid the groundwork for a multi-species HPAI test before the virus jumped beyond birds.

Purdue University researchers developed an innovative paper-based test that rapidly detects highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu. The test can be effective for a variety of animals, including poultry, cattle, wild birds, rodents and even humans. It requires only an oral or nasal swab that is applied to a paper strip, making it ideal for field use or in areas lacking access to advanced laboratory facilities. This Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR)-funded breakthrough stems from earlier FFAR research tackling bovine respiratory disease (BRD), a different costly and deadly infection found in cattle.

“Because of what I learned about BRD virus testing from my FFAR New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award research, we were already a step ahead in developing a similar test for HPAI. It turns out we started to build the foundation for an HPAI test that’s fast, accurate and easy for farmers and vets to use in the field four years before the world would know that animals beyond birds would be infected with HPAI,” said Dr. Mohit Verma, associate professor in Purdue’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.

Verma’s research team introduced and validated a new paper-based test that could quickly, affordably and reliably detect HPAI viruses.

Verma and four co-authors published the details of their HPAI test in Scientific Reports. This work was funded in part by FFAR, with additional funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Clinical and Translational Sciences Award from the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

Verma initially received a $715,500 New Innovator Award in 2020 to develop a rapid diagnostic BRD test. FFAR provided Verma with $450,000, which Ault Farms, Elanco and Goldstar Cattle matched for a total of $715,500. Verma’s research led to a user-friendly, low-cost test that can detect viruses causing BRD in under 60 minutes. The test will be able to assist veterinarians and cattle producers in determining the most effective methods for BRD prevention and treatment, with the goal of reducing the nearly $1 billion in annual losses the disease causes the U.S. beef industry.

“One of the most powerful aspects of scientific research is its ability to generate insights that extend beyond the original question,” said Dr. Angela Records, FFAR chief scientific officer. “Findings from Verma’s original FFAR grant, aimed at BRD challenges, are now helping us better understand a different — more widespread and critical — problem. This kind of cross-cutting impact is exactly what we hope for when we invest in innovative science to support U.S. farmers.”

Keystone Cooperative today announced that Kevin Still has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2026. The Board has initiated the search for the next CEO and will consider highly qualified candidates from both within and outside the organization. Until a successor is appointed, Mr. Still will continue to lead Keystone, overseeing its strategic direction, profitability, and growth. Once a successor is named, Mr. Still will work closely with the new CEO to ensure a smooth and effective leadership transition.

“Leading Keystone Cooperative and its predecessor companies over the past 41 years has been an incredible honor and privilege,” Mr. Still said. “Together with a team of exceptional leaders, we’ve built a strong and robust cooperative that I’m proud to have been part of. Now is the right time to look to the next generation of leadership—those who will take bold steps forward on behalf of our farmer-owners. I carry deep appreciation for a career rooted in agriculture and the cooperative spirit, and great hope for what lies ahead.”

Mr. Still’s 46-year career culminated in the formation of Keystone Cooperative, a landmark merger between Ceres Solutions and Co-Alliance. Under his visionary leadership, this union created a powerhouse cooperative generating $2.7 billion in annual revenue, serving more than 20,000 farmer-members, and employing over 2,000 full-time team members. Beyond his contributions to the local cooperative system, Mr. Still has also played a pivotal role on the CoBank Board for 23 years, including the last four as board chair. His strategic foresight has redefined what success looks like in today’s Ag & Energy Cooperative landscape.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire Keystone family, we extend our deepest gratitude to Kevin for an extraordinary career marked by visionary leadership, unwavering dedication, and a profound impact on the growth and resilience of our farmer-owned cooperative,” said Bill Peters, Chairman of the Board. “Kevin’s legacy is one of integrity, innovation, and service to agriculture. As he approaches his well-deserved retirement, we look forward to celebrating his many accomplishments. In the meantime, the Board, Kevin, and Keystone’s leadership team remain fully committed to advancing the company and selecting a successor who can build upon the strong foundation Kevin has established.”

“On a personal note,” Chairman Peters added, “Kevin has been a steadfast advocate for farm families throughout his career. He deeply understands the passion, resilience, and distinct character of the American farmer, and he has worked tirelessly to champion their success.”

Category
Filter—Categories
Apply
Connect With Us
Connect With Us