Synthetic biology startup Bontia Bio focuses on creating sustainable, nature-based treatments for animal health. The New Zealand veterinary bio-pharmaceutical startup is providing non-toxic relief from flea and tick infestation for our furry friends.
At the heart of the business lies an anti-parasitic compound derived from a humble fungus. Spun out of the Ferrier Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington, the company utilises proprietary precision fermentation to produce the bioactive compounds required for pet treatment formulations. These compounds are well understood but previously have been difficult to extract or synthesise on an industrial scale. Having identified the specific natural enzymes that defend against parasites, they bio-engineered fast-growing laboratory grown fungal strains to mimic the process. The new approach reduces the need for synthetic chemistry and provides a more environmentally sustainable method of production. The end product also has much lower toxicity for pets and their owners.
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Bontia Bio was co-founded by Dr. Matt Nicholson and Professor Emily Parker. Nicholson earned a PhD from the University of Manchester in molecular biology and has had prior commercial experience in the medical device field. Prof. Parker has deep experience in bio-synthetic pathway engineering and enzyme discovery. She earned her BSc(Hons) in organic chemistry at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Subsequently moving to the UK to complete her Ph.D. in bio-organic chemistry at the University of Cambridge. She later returned to take up academic and research governance roles in New Zealand, ultimately becoming part of Bontia Bio with her leadership at Ferrier and through development of the “Fungal Factories” bio-engineering platform.
Thanks to a strong desire to build innovative capacity through investments across European science, precision fermentation of food and biologicals is having something of a European renaissance right now. So in 2025 Prof. Parker also co-led a delegation to explore sister research organisations and universities across Europe and UK. New Zealand became a Horizon Europe associate partner in 2023, opening the door to collaborative projects and funding. New Zealand researchers have so far secured 50 grants demonstrating a high success rate.
The Ferrier Research Insitute (Te Kāuru) was formed in 2013 in the wake of devolution of the carbohydrate chemistry research team from a former government research entity. Ferrier has now assembled a world class team in the fields of chemistry and biology. The organisation aims to create impact with research, addressing economic, environmental, health and societal goals. Some of its biggest successes have arisen from long term cross-institutional engagements. This includes teams working on cancer and infectious disease therapies. For example, through a collaboration with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, researchers developed Forodesine, a new drug effective in dealing with certain types of relapsed lymphoma.
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