Disease prevention for Nebraska swine herds — exceeding 3.7 million pigs — is set to take a major step forward this year thanks to innovative science from DARO, a private-sector ag tech startup at Nebraska Innovation Campus. DARO’s pathogen surveillance approach leverages expertise from diverse scientific disciplines, translating advancements in molecular biology into practical tools for livestock health.

DARO’s approach, in contrast to conventional monitoring involving blood testing or oral fluids, provides whole-herd disease surveillance and uses molecular analysis to ensure accuracy. A key focus is monitoring for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), which annually costs the U.S. swine industry more than $1.2 billion. 

Nebraska’s swine sector generates $6 billion annually and ranks sixth in pork production nationally. 

“The pathogen surveillance we’ve developed gives us the ability to take certain sample types for livestock, specifically swine, and understand if there’s PRRS or other pathogens present for an early detection method,” said Josh DeMers, DARO’s chief operating officer. 

“Our goal is to make pathogen data available and accessible just like people interact with weather reports and forecasts,” said Kristen Bernhard, DARO founder and CEO. “We want it early and accurate.”

The current avian influenza illustrates the ag industry’s need for robust pathogen monitoring. In the pork sector, producers are particularly worried about African Swine Fever, an exceptionally destructive viral threat that isn’t yet in the U.S. but is present in the Caribbean. 

DARO aims to head off disease outbreaks through early detection via analysis of livestock samples. Prevention at present is the only defense against African swine fever, for example, since no treatment or vaccine against it is currently available. 

Bernhard draws upon her experience at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where she worked with teams on disease surveillance programs across the globe. She managed UNMC’s Pathogens Genomics laboratory, and the wastewater surveillance methodology her lab piloted became a key analytical tool during the COVID outbreak. 

After making its technology available to swine producers later this year, DARO has plans for additional products and for extending its service to other livestock sectors. 

DARO provides an example of multiple University of Nebraska supports for economic development. DARO is a Nebraska-based private-sector company that has benefited from resources available in the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, including The Combine and Biotech Connector lab facility on Nebraska Innovation Campus. However, the company’s pathogen surveillance technology is independently developed and fully proprietary to DARO.

Bernhard’s background in population genetics informed DARO’s approach. The company developed its proprietary technology to address livestock health challenges. To bring together the needed scientific and business talent at DARO, Bernhard has assembled what she terms a multidisciplinary “dream team.” 

On the business side, DeMers, former program manager of The Combine, provides wide-ranging knowledge of startup needs. Rick Knudston, an active angel investor who co-founded the website hosting company Flywheel and internal communications platform Workshop, brings real-world understanding of tech entrepreneurship.

Bailey Barcal, director of laboratory operations, has wide-ranging experience in clinical and research molecular testing. She formerly was a medical laboratory scientist for UNMC’s Nebraska Emerging Pathogens Diagnostic Acceleration Program. 

DARO’s lead scientist for genomics research is Alison Neujahr, who received her doctorate in University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Complex Biosystems Ph.D. program in 2024.

Neujahr’s Ph.D. research focused on understanding the animal microbiome, its role in disease and health, and using that knowledge to monitor animal health and develop novel biological treatments to improve animal health.