Halogene Bio is a Nepal-based biotechnology initiative founded by Jeevan Labh to address climate change and its effects on agriculture through genomics, molecular biology, and evidence-based policy.
Our long-term mission is to help strengthen food security in climate-vulnerable regions by investigating the genetic diversity of crops and identifying opportunities to improve their resilience to environmental stress. We intend to begin with underutilised Himalayan crops, including barley, buckwheat, amaranth, millets, and rye, whose genetic resources may offer valuable opportunities for climate-resilient crop improvement.
We are seeking seed funding to establish Halogene Bio's molecular biology laboratory and administrative headquarters in Kathmandu. This initial investment will create the physical, technical, and organisational foundation required to progress from early-stage research planning to experimental research, genomic analysis, and scientific collaboration.
The facility will support molecular biology workflows, DNA sequencing, computational genomics, and the development of future research programmes. We plan to combine in-house capabilities with collaborations and external services where these are more cost-effective than purchasing additional equipment. Our initial scientific priorities will include assessing existing crop genomic resources, identifying candidate genetic targets associated with climate resilience, and developing research pathways for their subsequent validation.
Halogene is currently at an early development stage, building the institutional capacity and partnerships needed to establish a sustained research programme in Nepal.
Our proposed seed round has a target of $750,000. The target budget covers essential laboratory equipment, a DNA sequencing platform, laboratory reagents, administrative infrastructure, and 12 months of working capital.
The initial year will focus on establishing laboratory operations, building collaborations, developing reproducible research workflows, and generating initial scientific outputs.
Our broader ambition is to establish a locally rooted biotechnology organisation capable of translating scientific research into practical responses to climate change and agricultural insecurity, while contributing to Nepal's scientific capacity and participation in global biotechnology research.