Invasive Species Corp files five patent applications on microbial pest controls

Invasive Species Corporation filed five provisional patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covering microbial discoveries aimed at herbicide-resistant weeds, toxic algae, burrowing shrimp and sea lice. The filings mark a key step for the Davis, California company as it develops bio-based products for agriculture, aquaculture and water infrastructure.

Why it matters: - Herbicide-resistant weeds and pest outbreaks in aquaculture and water systems are driving higher costs and lower yields. - Invasive Species Corporation is aiming to turn microbial discoveries into nature-positive products that can compete with synthetic chemicals on stability, cost and efficacy. - The company is also building intellectual property around those discoveries to protect future commercial products.

What happened: - Invasive Species Corporation filed five provisional patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. - The applications cover microbial discoveries for controlling weeds, toxic algae, burrowing shrimp and sea lice. - The company is based in Davis, California. - The filings were announced Sept. 2, 2026.

The details: - ISC was founded to discover, develop and market next-generation solutions to control invasive species. - The company launched laboratory operations at the beginning of 2024. - ISC uses an AI-guided microbial natural products screening platform. - The platform isolates microorganisms from pests’ natural environments, sequences their genomes and uses data-mining algorithms to assess safety, function and compounds produced. - Selected microbes are then tested on target pests or surrogates. - The platform led to the discoveries covered by the five patent applications. - ISC says the microorganisms produce multiple natural compounds in fermentation that form the basis of its products. - ISC says those compounds are biodegradable and environmentally friendly. - ISC says the compounds typically have multi-site modes of action, which can make resistance harder to develop. - ISC says the compounds also have shelf stability, unit costs and efficacy comparable to synthetic chemicals. - Two bioherbicide discoveries tied to the filings are in development, including field trials, fermentation process development, scale-up and natural product chemistry characterization. - Two other patented microbes are being scaled in fermentation for the next phase of live or in-feed testing on sea lice in salmon farming. - ISC currently sells Zequanox® for zebra, quagga and golden mussel control. - The company says a Gen 2 version with a lower cost and easier-to-use tablet and granule formulation is nearing EPA registration submission. - ISC says invasive species have caused more than $1 trillion in economic and environmental damage, or close to $500 billion annually. - ISC also says invasive species are the second leading cause of the planet’s rapid decline in biodiversity.

Between the lines: - The patent filings suggest ISC is moving from discovery toward product protection and potential commercialization. - The focus on resistance management reflects a broader push in agriculture and aquaculture for alternatives to older chemistries. - The company is targeting markets where a new mode of action can carry outsized value because current controls are often costly and losing effectiveness. - Pam Marrone, ISC co-founder and 2025 National Inventors’ Hall of Fame inductee, has more than 400 issued patents, including 82 U.S. patents. - Marrone said the filings reflect the company’s progress and emphasis on intellectual property protection. - Amit Vasavada, ISC chief science officer, said the filings are a significant milestone in the company’s effort to transform the herbicide market and develop sustainable products.

What's next: - ISC will continue field trials, fermentation work, scale-up and chemistry characterization on the bioherbicide candidates. - The company will move the sea lice microbes into live or in-feed testing. - ISC is preparing the next-step EPA registration submission for the Gen 2 Zequanox formulation. - Future development will likely hinge on whether the microbial products can translate from lab discovery to durable, cost-competitive field performance.

The bottom line: - ISC is using microbial discovery and patent filings to push a bio-based platform into some of the hardest-to-control pest problems in agriculture, aquaculture and water systems.