Applied DNA Sciences (APDN) 424B5Prospectus supplement for primary offering

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)

File No. 333-238557

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(to Prospectus dated May 21, 2020)

1,810,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

We are offering 1,810,000 shares of our common stock directly to the institutional investors in this offering. The shares of common stock are being offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. The purchase price for each share of common stock is $8.30.

The aggregate market value of our outstanding shares of common stock held by non-affiliates was $63,834,901 based on 5,661,330 shares of common stock outstanding as of January 8, 2021, of which 5,484,098 shares are held by non-affiliates, and a per share price of $11.64 based on the closing sale price of our common stock on January 8, 2021. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, in no event will we sell securities in a public primary offering with a value exceeding more than one-third of our public float in any 12-month period so long as our public float remains below $75.0 million. During the 12-month period prior to and including the date of this prospectus supplement, we did not offer any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3.

We have engaged Roth Capital Partners, LLC as our sole placement agent for this offering, or the placement agent. The placement agent is not purchasing or selling any shares offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus but will use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered. See “Plan of Distribution.” This offering is expected to close on or about January 13, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, without further notice to you. We have not arranged to place the funds from the investors in an escrow, trust or similar account.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APDN.” On January 11, 2021, the last reported sales price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market was $8.84 per share.

The purchase of the securities offered through this prospectus involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risk factors beginning on page S-13 of this prospectus supplement, on page 4 of the accompanying base prospectus, and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement before purchasing any of the securities offered by this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Roth Capital Partners

Prospectus Supplement dated January 10, 2021

Table of Contents

Page

Prospectus Supplement

Prospectus

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration statement process, we may from time to time offer to sell up to $50,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities, rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock or warrants and units consisting of shares of common stock, preferred stock, warrants, rights or debt securities or any combination of these securities in one or more transactions.

We provide information to you about this offering of our common stock in two separate documents that are bound together: (1) this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific details regarding this offering of shares of common stock; and (2) the accompanying base prospectus dated May 21, 2020, and that was declared effective on June 1, 2020 and is included in our registration statement on Form S-3 (SEC File No. 333-238557) (the “Registration Statement”), which provides general information regarding our shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, debt securities, warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities, rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock or warrants and units consisting of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, warrants, rights or debt securities, or any combination of these securities and other information some of which may not apply to this offering. If information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying base prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date, for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement as our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since the earlier dates.

You should read this prospectus supplement, together with the accompanying base prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the base prospectus and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering before making an investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents referred to in the sections of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information Incorporated by Reference.” When we refer to this “prospectus”, we are referring to both this prospectus supplement and the base prospectus combined.

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the base prospectus, or in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. We and the placement agent have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it.

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated herein by reference as exhibits to the registration statement, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”

We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference herein were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.

We are not making an offer to sell the securities covered by this prospectus supplement in any jurisdiction in which an offer or solicitation is not permitted or in which the person making the offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation.

The information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the base prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering is accurate only as of its respective date, regardless of the time of delivery of the respective document or of any sale of securities covered by this prospectus. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the base prospectus, or in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates thereof.

Our trademarks currently used in the United States include Applied DNA Sciences®, SigNature® molecular tags, SigNature® T molecular tags, fiberTyping®, DNAnet®, SigNify®, Beacon®, CertainT®, LinearDNA^TM, Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit and safeCircle^TM Surveillance Program. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies. In this prospectus supplement “Applied DNA,” “we,” “us,” the “Company,” and “our” refer to Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are intended to qualify for the “safe harbor” created by those sections. In addition, we may make forward-looking statements in other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, and our management and other representatives may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing to analysts, investors, representatives of the media and others.

Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and include, but are not limited to, statements using terminology such as “can”, “may”, “could”, “should”, “assume”, “forecasts”, “believe”, “designed to”, “will”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “potential”, “position”, “predicts”, “strategy”, “guidance”, “intend”, “seek”, “budget”, “project” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, including risks relating to the continuing outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they:

We believe it is important to communicate our expectations. However, forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about our business and our industry and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Accordingly, our actual results and the timing of certain events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors and risks, including, but not limited to, those set forth under “Risk Factors” and “Prospectus Supplement Summary – Our Company” set forth in this prospectus supplement and those set forth from time to time in our other filings with the SEC.

Our forward-looking statements address, among other things:

Any or all of our forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They may be affected by inaccurate assumptions that we might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could affect future results are:

All forward-looking statements and risk factors included in this prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated herein by reference are made as of the date hereof, or in the case of documents incorporated by reference, the original date of any such documents, based on information available to us as of such date, and we assume no obligations to update any forward-looking statement or risk factor, unless we are required to do so by law. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make updates with respect to other forward-looking statements or that we will make any further updates to those forward-looking statements at any future time.

Any of the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated herein by reference could prove inaccurate and, therefore, we cannot assure you that the results contemplated in any of such forward-looking statements will be realized. Based on the significant uncertainties inherent in these forward-looking statements, the inclusion of any such statement should not be regarded as a representation or as a guarantee by us that our objectives or plans will be achieved, and we caution you against relying on any of the forward-looking statements contained herein.

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights certain information about us, this offering and information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and in the documents we incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our securities. After you carefully read this summary, to fully understand our company and this offering and its consequences to you, you should read this entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, and any related free writing prospectus authorized by us, including the information referred to under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement beginning on page S-13, and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the other documents that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement, including our financial statements and the notes to those financial statements, which are incorporated herein by reference from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2020, filed on December 17, 2020. Please read “Where You Can Find More Information” on page S-24 of this prospectus supplement.

Our Company

Overview

Our proprietary PCR-based DNA LinearDNA^TM manufacturing platform produces large quantities of DNA for use in nucleic acid-based in vitro medical diagnostics and preclinical nucleic acid-based drug development and manufacturing markets (“Biotherapeutic Contract Research and Manufacturing”) and for supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology purposes (“Non-Biologic Tagging”). In response to the SARS-CoV-2 (“COVID-19”) pandemic, the Company developed a PCR-based molecular diagnostic test for COVID-19, which was granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) in May 2020. The Company currently manufactures and sells its EUA authorized COVID-19 molecular diagnostic test kit under the Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit trademark (“COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing”). In addition, and in further response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company developed and is currently offering non-diagnostic COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing to detect instances of COVID-19 in defined populations. The Company’s COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing services are currently offered under the safeCircle^TM trademark (“COVID-19 Surveillance Testing”). The Company is also developing an invasive circulating tumor cell capture and identification technology (“iCTC Technology”) which uses a patented functional assay to capture live invasive circulating tumor cell and associated lymphocytes that can be identified and expanded for further analysis.

Applied DNA’s LinearDNA^TM PCR platform is capable of producing large scale DNA, which we believe offers many benefits over the limitations of other large scale DNA manufacturing systems, including:

Biotherapeutic Contract Research and Manufacturing

Our patented continuous flow PCR systems and other proprietary PCR-based production technology and post-processing systems that comprise the LinearDNA^TM platform allows for the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences. The LinearDNA^TM platform is currently being used for customers to manufacture DNA as components of in vitro diagnostic tests and for preclinical nucleic acid-based drug development in the fields of adoptive cell therapies (CAR T and TCR therapies), DNA vaccines (anti-viral and cancer), RNA therapies, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) based therapies and gene therapies. We believe our LinearDNA^TM platform confers a distinct competitive advantage in cost, cleanliness, and time-to-market as compared to other DNA manufacturing systems.

The Company provides preclinical contract research and manufacturing services for the nucleic acid-based therapeutic markets. We work with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to convert plasmid-based and/or viral transduction-based preclinical biotherapeutics into PCR-produced linear DNA-based forms that can be produced on our LinearDNA^TM platform. In addition, we provide contract research services to RNA based drug and biologic customers for preclinical studies. These services include the design, development and manufacture of PCR-produced DNA templates for RNA. In addition, we also use our LinearDNA^TM platform to produce very large gram-scale quantities of DNA for the in vitro diagnostic market where our DNA is used for both commercially available diagnostics and diagnostics under development.

We also seek to develop, acquire, and commercialize, ourselves or with partners, a diverse portfolio of nucleic acid-based therapeutics based on PCR-produced linear DNA to improve existing nucleic acid-based therapeutics or to create new nucleic acid-based therapeutics that address unmet medical needs. We are currently directly engaged in preclinical drug candidate development activities focusing on therapeutically-relevant DNA constructs manufactured via our LinearDNA^TM platform in the fields of DNA-based anti-viral and anti-cancer vaccines, CAR-T cell immunotherapy and the manufacture of rAAV vectors for gene therapy.

We are also engaged in preclinical and animal drug candidate development activities focusing on therapeutically relevant DNA constructs manufactured via our PCR-based production platform. We seek to develop, acquire and commercialize, alone or with partners, a diverse portfolio of nucleic acid-based therapeutics based on PCR-produced linear DNA which we believe will improve existing nucleic acid-based therapeutics or create new nucleic acid-based therapeutics that address unmet medical needs. To this end, we are currently working with our development partners Takis S.R.L. and Evvivax S.R.L. (“Takis/Evvivax”) to develop an amplicon-based linear DNA vaccine for COVID-19 that would be manufactured on our LinearDNA^TM platform. Together with our development partners, our amplicon-based linear COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown efficacy in preclinical cell and small animal studies. In September 2020, we entered into an Animal Clinical Trial Agreement with Takis/Evvivax and with Veterinary Oncology Services, PLLC, an affiliate of Guardian Veterinary Specialists (“GVS”), a multi-specialty veterinary hospital. In November 2020, we, together with Takis/Evvivax and GVS, announced receipt of approvals from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) on an advanced clinical strategy to conduct a veterinary trial of a vaccine candidate. Our jointly-developed amplicon-based DNA vaccine for COVID-19 is expected to start veterinary clinical trials in domestic feline cats by early 2021, with the end goal of applying for a USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service conditional license to enable commercial veterinary sales for domestic felines.

COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing

On May 13, 2020 we received an EUA from the FDA for the clinical use of the Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory specimens including anterior nasal swabs, self-collected at a healthcare location or collected by a healthcare worker, and nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs, mid-turbinate nasal swabs, nasopharyngeal washes/aspirates or nasal aspirates, and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens collected by a healthcare worker from individuals who are suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider. Under the EUA, testing is limited to laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988, 42 U.S.C. §263a (“CLIA”), that meet requirements to perform high complexity tests, which certification we have applied for but have not yet obtained. As a result, we currently can sell the tests to CLIA laboratories that satisfy such requirements to perform high complexity tests, but we cannot currently perform the test for the purpose of providing patient specific results. Subsequently, during July and November 2020, we were granted EUA amendments that expand the installed base of PCR equipment platforms on which our Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit can be processed and significantly increased the daily testing capacity of the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit through the use of automation. The scope of the EUA, as amended, is expressly limited to use consistent with the Instructions for Use by authorized laboratories, certified under CLIA to perform high complexity tests. The EUA will be effective until the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 is terminated or until the EUA’s prior termination or revocation. Our Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit has not been FDA cleared or approved, and the EUA’s limited authorization is only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. We currently manufacture the Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit at our facilities in Stony Brook, New York.

On September 29, 2020 we announced that we had entered into a Master Services Agreement with Stony Brook University Hospital to supply the Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit and related automation systems.

COVID-19 Surveillance Testing

Starting in July 2020, the Company under its wholly-owned subsidiary, Applied DNA Clinical Labs LLC (“ADCL”), began offering COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing to customers as a Testing-as-a-Service (TaaS) offering branded under the safeCircle^TM trademark. Unlike diagnostic testing, which looks for the occurrence of COVID-19 at the individual level, safeCircle^TM surveillance testing looks for infections within a defined population or community and can be used for making health management decisions at the population level. safeCircle^TM surveillance testing uses high-sensitivity pooled COVID-19 testing utilizing the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit. Under the safeCircle^TM surveillance testing service, pooled test results are returned to the sponsoring organization in the aggregate only, not directly to the participating individuals, and may be performed without CLIA certification. Once potentially infected portions of a defined population are identified by the safeCircle^TM surveillance testing service, the individuals comprising the potentially infected portions of the defined population are referred to follow on diagnostic testing at a clinical lab to obtain individual results. ADCL is offering its safeCircle^TM surveillance testing in compliance with current CDC, FDA, CMS and New York State Department of Health recommendations. The use of pooled sampling procedures for the safeCircle^TM surveillance testing service has been internally validated by ADCL in compliance with current CDC guidance. The use of pooled sampling procedures is not included in the Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit EUA.

We seek to commercialize the safeCircle^TM surveillance testing TaaS offering with institutional clients such as schools, colleges and businesses. We currently provide safeCircle^TM surveillance testing to several private schools, New York State-based small enterprises and college athletic programs.

Clinical Testing Laboratory

Under our ADCL subsidiary, we have applied to the New York State Department of Health for all necessary licensing to operate a New York State clinical diagnostics laboratory. These applications are currently pending. Until this licensing is obtained, we will be unable to operate a clinical diagnostic laboratory and cannot provide individual patient testing results. The New York State Department of Health performed its initial inspection of our clinical laboratory and identified deficiencies in the clinical standard of practice. These deficiencies need to be rectified before we can submit a request for re-inspection. We are working to rectify these deficiencies now. Through ADCL, we seek to further commercialize our EUA authorized Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit and our iCTC Technology.

iCTC Technology

We seek to further develop, manufacture and commercialize our Vita-Assay^TM iCTC Technology acquired from Vitatex, Inc. in August 2019. Our iCTC Technology uses a patented functional assay to capture live invasive circulating tumor cell and associated lymphocytes that can be identified and expanded for further analysis, including genetic sequencing. We believe our iCTC Technology can be used as an early cancer diagnostic tool, to facilitate cancer disease progression monitoring, to assess metastatic tumor risk and to discover epitopes to serve as targets for nucleic-acid based immunotherapies. Our iCTC Technology has been used and is currently being used in a human cancer drug candidate clinical trial to monitor cancer disease progression in the trial subjects as a Research Use Only diagnostic assay. We believe our iCTC Technology has several advantages over existing in vitro circulating tumor cell diagnostic technologies that do not capture live iCTC cells. The Company seeks to further develop and commercialize this technology and to potentially integrate aspects of the iCTC Technology with the LinearDNA^TM platform for cancer research and nucleic-acid based drug development.

Non-Biologic Tagging and Security Products and Services

Our supply chain security business allows our customers to use non-biologic DNA (molecular) tags manufactured on our LinearDNA^TM platform to mark objects in a unique manner and then identify these objects by detecting the absence or presence of the molecular tag. We believe our molecular tags are not economically feasible nor practical to replicate, and that our disruptive tracking platform offers broad commercial relevance across many industry verticals.

The underlying strategy in our tagging business is to become an authenticity and traceability platform provider for large complex supply chains, particularly in process industries in which contracts for our products and services are typically larger and recurring over longer duration as compared to our historic norms, where the benefits to customers and consumers are more significant, and where our forensic security and traceability offer a unique and protected value. Using our tagging products and technology, manufacturers, brands, and other stakeholders can ensure authenticity and protect against diversion throughout a product’s journey from manufacturer to use.

SigNature® Molecular Tags, SigNature® T Molecular Tags, fiberTyping®, SigNify® Beacon® and CertainT® comprise our principal Non-Biologic tagging and security technology platform.

Signature Molecular Tags

SigNature® molecular tags manufactured via our LinearDNA^TM platform form the core of our supply chain security technology platform. They provide forensic power and protection for a wide array of applications. Highly secure, robust and durable, SigNature® molecular tags are an ingredient that can be used to fortify brand protection efforts; strengthen supply chain security; and mark, track and convict criminals. Through our SigNature® molecular tags, custom DNA sequences can be embedded into a wide range of host carriers including natural and synthetic materials such as cotton, leather, cannabis, ink, varnish, thread, metal coatings, and pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. SigNature® molecular tag formulations are made to be resistant to challenging environments such as heat, cold, vibration, abrasion, organic solvents, chemicals, UV radiation and other extreme environmental conditions, and can be identified for numerous years after being embedded directly into or on an item. The sequence of each individual molecular tag is recorded and stored in a secure database so that we can later detect it to obtain definitive proof of the presence or absence of a specific molecular tag using a simple in-field test, or in our laboratories. Our in-lab forensic testing capability delivers Certificate of DNA Authentication (“CODA”) or an expert witness report, with expert witness services for some cases. Because DNA can be amplified with high fidelity, only minute quantities of our molecular tags extracted from our customers’ goods are necessary for successful analysis and authentication. As a result, SigNature® molecular tags can fold seamlessly into production and logistics workflows at extremely low concentrations.

Our SigNature® molecular tags can be uniquely designed for specific industries. For example, our SigNature® T molecular tags, designed for textiles and apparel industry, are specially engineered to adhere tenaciously to textile substrates, which make them resistant to standard textile production conditions. The result is an enduring forensic level molecular tag that remains present from the fiber stage through to the finished product. Overall SigNature® molecular tags now exist on hundreds of millions of commodity goods ranging from consumer product packaging to microcircuits to cotton and synthetic fibers.

SigNify®

SigNify® IF portable DNA readers and SigNify® consumable reagent test kits provide definitive real-time authentication of molecular tags in the field, providing a front-line solution for supply chain integrity backed with forensic-level molecular tag authentication.

CertainT®

The CertainT® trademark indicates the use of our tagging, testing and tracking platforms and solutions, enabling manufacturers, brands and trade organizations to convey proof of their product claims.

CertainT® and other customer applications include the use of a software platform that enables customers to manage the security of company-marked goods from point of marking to point of authentication or validation to end of life. The base platform is configurable to customer requirements. Basic functions offered include molecular tag inventory management, program training and communications, a database of marked items information, associated documents and images, chain of custody and location tracking, sample authentication processing and CODA downloads, and other administrative functions.

Recent Developments

FDA Alert and Letter Regarding the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit and COVID-19 Mutations

On December 29, 2020 the Company received a letter (the “FDA Information Request”)  from the FDA requesting certain information about the potential impact of the 69—70del SARS-CoV-2 (“COVID-19”) mutation (the “69—70del mutation”) on the performance of the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit. The 69—70del mutation is a mutation in the S-gene of COVID-19 that is found in several variants of COVID-19, including, but not limited to the so called “UK Variant,” whose technical designation is UK COV202012/01 or the B.1.1.7 variant.  The B.1.1.7 variant contains many mutations, including the 69—70del mutation.  The B.1.1.7 variant has been associated with an increased risk of transmission.  As a result, early identification of individuals potentially infected with this variant is important because it could reduce further transmission of COVID-19.

In response to the FDA Information Request, the Company performed analysis of the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit’s performance in the presence of the 69—70del mutation. Results showed that sensitivity of one of the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit’s two targets, specifically the S1 target, was highly diminished in the presence of the 69—70del mutation. The sensitivity of the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit’s other target (S2) was not impacted by the mutation. This results in a detection pattern in the presence of the 69—70del mutation where the sensitivity of the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit’s S1 target is highly reduced as compared to the sensitivity of the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit’s S2 target (“S-gene target dropout”). While reduced sensitivity with molecular diagnostics is typically not desirable, with certain multi-target COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests such as the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit, reduced sensitivity in regard to one target allows viral variants to be identified while still detecting the presence of COVID-19 via the assay’s other target(s). On December 31, 2020, the Company responded to the FDA Information Request informing the FDA of the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit’s S-gene target dropout in the presence of the 69—70del mutation.

On January 8, 2021, the FDA issued an Alert to Health Care Providers and Clinical Laboratory Staff (the “FDA Alert”) regarding the potential impact of COVID-19 mutations on the accuracy of COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests. Coincident with the FDA Alert, the FDA also issued a Letter to Health Care Providers and Clinical Laboratory Staff (the “FDA Letter”). The FDA Alert and the FDA Letter advised that false negatives are a risk with all laboratory tests, including COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests. The FDA further advised that false negatives can occur with any COVID-19 molecular diagnostic test if a mutation occurs in the region of the virus that the test is designed to assess. The FDA explained that the potential for false negatives with COVID-19 molecular diagnostics may be increased with tests that only assess a single region of the COVID-19 virus as compared to tests that assess more than one region of the virus. The FDA stated that it believes the overall impact of COVID-19 mutations on testing accuracy will be low.

The FDA Alert and the FDA Letter also stated that FDA is conducting continuous data analysis to evaluate all currently EUA authorized molecular tests in light of COVID-19 mutations. Based on the FDA’s own analysis and input from manufacturers, the FDA Alert and the FDA Letter identified three EUA authorized molecular diagnostic tests that might be impacted by currently known COVID-19 mutations. The FDA Alert and the FDA Letter stated that the Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit and one other molecular diagnostic test exhibit S-gene target dropout detection patterns when certain COVID-19 variants are present, including variants with the 69—70del mutation, which includes the B.1.1.7 variant.  The FDA Letter further stated that this detection pattern may help with the early identification of new COVID-19 variants in patients, including variants with the 69—70del mutation, which could help to reduce the further spread of COVID-19. The FDA Letter further noted that when the S-gene target dropout is observed in patient samples tested with the identified kits such samples should be considered for further characterization via full genetic sequencing, which would allow for identification of the specific variant at issue. The FDA letter further concluded that due to the identified kits’ multi-target design, overall test sensitivity should not be impacted. 

Preliminary First Quarter 2021 Results

On January 4, 2021, the Company announced that it expects revenues for the first fiscal quarter of 2021 ended December 31, 2020, to be in the range of $1.3 million to $1.6 million compared to revenues of $314,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. The sequential growth in quarterly revenues is driven principally by demand for safeCircle™, the pooled COVID-19 surveillance testing program offered by the Company’s subsidiary, ADCL, and from sales of its Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit under EUA by the FDA EUA). These preliminary unaudited results are based on management’s initial analysis of operations for the first fiscal quarter of 2021 ended December 31, 2020, and are subject to review and revision. The Company expects to issue full financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2021 in mid-February.

SUMMARY OF RISKS

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, discussed in more detail in the following section. These risks include, among others, the following key risks:

In addition to the above key factors, as well as other variables affecting our operating results and financial condition, past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. The following are important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. In addition to the factors discussed elsewhere in this prospectus supplement and our other reports and documents filed with the SEC, risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we may currently deem immaterial also may impair our business, financial condition, operating results and/or stock price. If any of the following risks or such other risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, operating results and/or stock price could be harmed. In the following factors, “volatility in our share price”, “adverse impact on the price (or value) of our shares”, “decline in the price of our common stock” and similar terms also refer to our warrants and shares to be received upon exercise of our warrants.

CORPORATE INFORMATION

We are a Delaware corporation, which was initially formed in 1983 under the laws of the State of Florida as Datalink Systems, Inc. In 1998, we reincorporated in the State of Nevada, and in 2002, we changed our name to our current name, Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. In December 2008, we reincorporated from Nevada to the State of Delaware. LineaRx, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on September 11, 2018. ADCL was formed in Delaware on June 12, 2020.

Our corporate headquarters are located at the Long Island High Technology Incubator at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, where we established laboratories for the manufacture of molecular tags, product prototyping, molecular tag authentication, bulk DNA production, as well the manufacture of our Linea™ COVID-19 Assay Kit and the performance of our COVID-19 Surveillance Testing. The address of our corporate headquarters is 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, New York 11790, and our telephone number is (631) 240-8800. We maintain a website at www.adnas.com where general information about us is available. The information on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into and should not be considered a part of this prospectus supplement.

THE OFFERING

RISK FACTORS

Investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. In addition to the risks and investment considerations discussed elsewhere in this prospectus supplement or any document incorporated by reference herein, the following factors should be carefully considered by anyone purchasing the securities offered by this prospectus supplement. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations. We also update risk factors from time to time in our periodic reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K which will be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business could be harmed. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and investors could lose all or a part of their investment.

See also the statements contained under the heading “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements.”

Risks Relating to this Offering:

Our management has broad discretion as to the use of the net proceeds from this offering.

We cannot specify with certainty the particular uses of the net proceeds we will receive from this offering, and these uses may vary from our current plans. Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds, including for any of the purposes described in “Use of Proceeds.” Accordingly, you will have to rely upon the judgment of our management with respect to the use of the proceeds. Our management may spend a portion or all of the net proceeds from this offering in ways that holders of our common stock may not desire or that may not yield a significant return or any return at all. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we may also invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

If you purchase the common stock, you will experience immediate dilution as a result of this offering.

Since the price per share of our common stock being offered is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering. Based on a public offering price of $8.30 per share, if you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of approximately $5.63 per share in the net tangible book value of the common stock. See the section entitled “Dilution” in this prospectus supplement for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase common stock in this offering.

You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.  

In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock that could result in further dilution to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering or result in downward pressure on the price of our common stock. We may sell shares of our common stock or other securities in any other offering at prices that are higher or lower than the prices paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. Moreover, to the extent that we issue options or warrants to purchase, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, shares of our common stock in the future and those options, warrants or other securities are exercised, converted or exchanged, stockholders may experience further dilution.

The trading price of our common stock has been, and is likely to continue to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control.

Our stock price is volatile. During the period from January 1, 2020 to January 11, 2021, the closing price of our common stock ranged from a high of $15.21 per share to a low of $2.80 per share. The stock market in general and the market for smaller pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in particular have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above the public offering price and you may lose some or all of your investment.

Risks Relating to Our Business:

The COVID-19 global pandemic may continue to materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business has been and could continue to be materially and adversely affected by the outbreak of a widespread health epidemic. The present coronavirus (or COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted our operations and has affected our business, as government authorities impose mandatory closures, work-from-home orders and social distancing protocols or impose other restrictions that could materially adversely affect our ability to adequately staff and maintain our operations. Portions of our business are considered “essential” such as our government and pharmaceutical contracts, as well as our vaccine and diagnostic candidate development and our COVID-19 Surveillance Testing. However, we have experienced, and may continue to experience in the future, facility closures related to our “nonessential” businesses, and pursuant to the government order, the Company has reduced the scope of its operations and where possible, certain workers are telecommuting from their homes. As a result of COVID-19 we have experienced a decline in revenues from non-biological tagging and related services. As the COVID-19 outbreak and responses to it continue to evolve, we may experience further adverse impacts on our operations, including our ability to secure supplies, and our ability to access capital on favorable terms, or at all, may be impaired. There may also be long-term effects on our customers in and the economies of affected countries. Although the duration and ultimate impact of these factors is unknown at this time, the decline in economic conditions due to COVID-19, or another disease causing similar impacts, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and such impact may be material.

There is substantial doubt relating to our ability to continue as a going concern.

We have recurring net losses, which have resulted in an accumulated deficit of $269,835,650 as of September 30, 2020. We have incurred a net loss of $13,028,904 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. At September 30, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $7,786,743. We have concluded that these factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for one year from the issuance of the financial statements. In addition, the report from our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended September 30, 2020 includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our significant losses and needs to raise additional funds to meet our obligations and sustain operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We will continue to seek to raise additional working capital through public equity, private equity or debt financings. If we fail to raise additional working capital, or do so on commercially unfavorable terms, it would materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations, and we may be unable to continue as a going concern. Future reports from our independent registered public accounting firm may also contain statements expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we seek additional financing to fund our business activities in the future and there remains substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.

Our new emphasis on biotherapeutic contract research and manufacturing and COVID-19 diagnostic and surveillance testing may reduce our ability to maintain and expand our existing Non-Biologic Tagging businesses.

Our new emphasis on biotherapeutic contract research and manufacturing and COVID-19 diagnostic and surveillance testing may divert funding and our limited managerial and other resources from our existing non-biologic tagging businesses. This may have the effect of reducing opportunities to grow or maintain revenues in our existing businesses while at the same time we may fail in our biotherapeutic contracts research and manufacturing and COVID-19 diagnostic and surveillance testing efforts.

Risks Relating to Our Product Candidates, Manufacturing, Development, and Industries:

Our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit is being sold under an FDA EUA.

Our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit has not been cleared or approved by FDA, but has been authorized for sale under an EUA. The FDA has the authority to grant an EUA to allow unapproved medical products to be used in an emergency when there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives. The EUA authorizes our test to be used by laboratories certified to perform high complexity testing under CLIA. The EUA includes conditions of authorization with which we must comply, including, but not limited to, compliance with labeling, distribution of materials designed to ensure proper use, reporting obligations, and restrictions on advertising and promotion. Distributors of and laboratories using our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit must also comply with the relevant provisions of our EUA. The EUA is only effective for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The FDA may revoke or terminate the EUA sooner if, for example, we fail to comply with the terms of the EUA or our test is determined to be less accurate than it was initially believed to be. We cannot predict how long the EUA will remain in place. If the EUA is revoked or terminated, it could significantly harm our business, results of operations, and profits.

Our safeCircle^TM surveillance testing service could become obsolete or its utility could be significantly diminished.

Surveillance testing is not regulated by the FDA and CMS has stated that CLIA certification is not required to conduct surveillance testing. ADCL is offering its safeCircle^TM surveillance testing in compliance with current CDC, FDA, CMS and New York State Department of Health recommendations. The regulatory framework or recommendations regarding COVID-19 Surveillance Testing could change at any time. Further, our COVID-19 Surveillance Testing may become obsolete for a variety of reasons, including an end to the current pandemic or the development and widespread distribution of a vaccine, including the vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for which the FDA has recently granted emergency use authorization. In addition, the utility of these services will also diminish if positivity rates reach levels high enough to render surveillance testing ineffective or inefficient.

Our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kits could become obsolete or their utility could be significantly diminished.

Our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kits may become obsolete for a variety of reasons, including an end to the current pandemic, the development and widespread distribution of a vaccine, including the vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for which the FDA has recently granted emergency use authorization. In addition, future or currently undiscovered mutations to the COVID-19 virus could result in our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kits suffering a loss of sensitivity and resulting loss of utility.

Our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit may result in false negatives.

False negative test results are a risk with all laboratory tests, including COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests. A false negative occurs with a COVID-19 molecular diagnostic when an individual who is infected with the virus tests negative for the virus.  False negatives can occur in the presence or absence of a mutation in the COVID-19 virus.  In the presence of a mutation in the virus, false negatives can occur if a mutation occurs in the region of the virus that the test is designed to assess.  The risk of false negatives in the presence of a mutation is increased with tests that only assess a single region of the COVID-19 virus as compared to tests that assess more than one region of the virus.  Our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit test assesses two regions of the virus, thus reducing the likelihood of false negatives in the presence of one or more COVID-19 mutations.  Regardless, false negatives may occur with our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit in the presence or absence of one or more COVID-19 mutations.  If false negatives occur with our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit, individuals will incorrectly believe they do not have COVID-19 and could further spread the virus thereby jeopardizing the health of others.

Other companies may develop and obtain authorization for molecular diagnostics that can detect the 69—70del mutation.

The 69—70del mutation is a mutation that is found in several variants of COVID-19, including, but not limited to the so called “UK Variant” or the B.1.1.7 variant.  The B.1.1.7 variant has been associated with an increased risk of transmission. According to an Alert to Health Care Providers and Clinical Laboratory Staff and a Letter to Health Care Providers and Clinical Laboratory Staff both issued by the FDA on January 8, 2021, there are currently only two EUA authorized COVID-19 molecular diagnostics that can indicate a sample contains the 69—70del mutation, including our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit.  Other companies may develop and obtain Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 molecular diagnostics that can detect the 69—70del mutation.  Such tests would compete with our test and could negatively impact sales of our Linea^TM COVID-19 Assay Kit.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the shares of common stock we are offering will be approximately $13.7 million. Net proceeds are what we expect to receive after paying the placement agent’s fees and other expenses of the offering.

We intend to use the net proceeds received from this offering for general corporate purposes, including working capital, for research and development, and to advance the adoption of our LinearDNA™ manufacturing platform. The actual allocation of proceeds realized from this offering will depend upon our operating revenues and cash position and our working capital requirements.

Therefore, as of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering. Accordingly, we will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds, and investors will be relying on our judgment regarding the application of the proceeds of this offering.

Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends to stockholders in the foreseeable future. In addition, any future determination to pay cash dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, and such other factors as our board of directors deems relevant at such time.

DILUTION

If you purchase securities in this offering, your interest will be immediately and substantially diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after giving effect to this offering.

Our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2020 was approximately $4,818,790, or approximately $0.94 per share of common stock. After giving effect to the sale of the shares in this offering at the public offering price of $8.30 per share, and after deducting the placement agent’s fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value at September 30, 2020 would have been approximately $18,529,180 or $2.67 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of approximately $1.73 per share to our existing stockholders, and an immediate dilution of $5.63 per share to investors purchasing shares in the offering.

Dilution in net tangible book value per share represents the difference between the amount per share paid by purchasers of our common stock in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.

The following table illustrates the per share dilution to investors purchasing securities in the offering:

The discussion and tables above are based on 5,142,779 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2020, which excludes 291,035 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options and 1,038,919 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants as of such date. To the extent that options or warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2020 have been or may be exercised, investors purchasing our common stock in this offering may experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock. We anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings, if any, for use in the expansion and operation of our business and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Roth Capital Partners, LLC has agreed to act as our sole placement agent in connection with this offering subject to the terms and conditions of a placement agency agreement, dated January 10, 2021 between Roth Capital Partners, LLC and us. The placement agent is not purchasing or selling any shares offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus but has arranged for the sale of certain of the shares offered hereby through a securities purchase agreement entered into between the purchasers and us. The public offering price of the shares offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus has been determined based upon arm’s-length negotiations between the purchasers and us.

We have entered into a securities purchase agreement directly with the investors in this offering. A form of the securities purchase agreement was included as Exhibit 10.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC in connection with this offering. The securities purchase agreement provides such investors with certain representations, warranties and covenants, including indemnifications, from us. Our obligation to issue and sell the shares of common stock to the investors who are party to the securities purchase agreement is subject to the closing conditions set forth in the securities purchase agreement, including the absence of any material adverse change in our business and the receipt of certain opinions, letters and certificates from us or our counsel, which may be waived by the respective parties. All of the shares will be sold at the offering price specified in this prospectus supplement and, we expect, at a single closing.

Commissions and Expenses

We have agreed to pay the placement agent an aggregate cash placement fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds in this offering from sales arranged for by the placement agent. Subject to certain conditions, we also have agreed to reimburse all reasonable travel and other out-of-pocket expenses of the placement agent in connection with this offering, including but not limited to the reasonable fees of legal counsel, not to exceed $50,000.

We currently anticipate that the delivery of the shares will occur on or about January 13, 2021. At the closing, The Depository Trust Company will credit the shares of common stock to the respective accounts of the purchasers or the transfer agent will issue the shares to the purchasers in book-entry form, as elected by the purchasers in their respective purchase agreements.

Other Terms

Under the securities purchase agreement, and subject to certain exceptions, we have agreed not to (i) enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any common stock or common stock equivalents, or (ii) file any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, for a period of 90 days following the closing of the offering.

Lock-Up Agreements.

In connection with this offering, each of our executive officers and directors has agreed, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the lock-up agreements, not to sell, offer, agree to sell, contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale of, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of our common stock, for 90 days following the closing of the offering. The purchasers party to the securities purchase agreement may, in their sole discretion and without notice, waive the terms of the lock-up agreement.

Determination of Offering Price

The public offering price of the shares of common stock we are offering was negotiated between us and the investors, in consultation with the placement agent based on the trading of our common stock prior to the offering, among other things. Other factors considered in determining the public offering price of our common stock we are offering include our history and prospects, the stage of development of our business, our business plans for the future and the extent to which they have been implemented, an assessment of our management, general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors as were deemed relevant.

Regulation M Restrictions

The placement agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of any shares of common stock sold by it while acting as a principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, the placement agent would be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act including Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M promulgated under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares offered hereby by the placement agent acting as a principal. Under these rules and regulations, the placement agent:

Passive Market Making

In connection with this offering, the placement agent may engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M promulgated under the Exchange Act during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of shares of our common stock and extending through the completion of the distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. If all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.

Indemnification

We have agreed to indemnify the placement agent against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and liabilities arising from breaches of representations and warranties contained in the placement agency agreement, or to contribute to payments that the placement agent may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

Other Relationships

The placement agent and its affiliates may in the future engage in investment banking transactions and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. The placement agent has received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.

Electronic Distribution

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus may be made available in electronic format on websites or through other online services maintained by the placement agent or by an affiliate. Other than this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, the information on the placement agent’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by the placement agent is not part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the placement agent, and should not be relied upon by investors.

The foregoing does not purport to be a complete statement of the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement and subscription agreements. A copy of the placement agent agreement and the form of securities purchase agreement with the purchasers are included as exhibits to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC in connection with this offering and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Listing

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APDN.”

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, New York, New York. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel for the placement agent in this offering.

EXPERTS

Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2020, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in the prospectus and elsewhere in this registration statement. Our consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Marcum LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-238557), of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus are a part, under the Securities Act, to register the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus supplement. However, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus do not contain all of the information contained in the Registration Statement. We have omitted from this prospectus supplement some parts of the Registration Statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Statements in this prospectus supplement concerning any document we have filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified in their entirety by reference to these filings. In addition, we file annual, quarterly and other reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments to those reports, and other information that we file with or furnish to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act can also be accessed free of charge through the Internet. These filings will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments to those reports, and other information that we file with or furnish to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, can also be accessed free of charge from our website at http://www.adnas.com. These filings will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not part of this prospectus supplement.

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

We have elected to incorporate certain information by reference into this prospectus supplement. By incorporating by reference, we can disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents we have filed or will file with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement, except for information incorporated by reference that is superseded by information contained in this prospectus supplement. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any statements in the prospectus supplement or any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus supplement incorporates by reference the documents set forth below that we have previously filed with the SEC, except in each case the information contained in such document to the extent “furnished” and not “filed”:

All reports and other documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the registration statement to which this prospectus supplement forms a part of and prior to the effectiveness of such registration statement or after the date of this prospectus supplement and prior to the termination or completion of the offering of Securities under this prospectus supplement shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such reports and other documents.

You may obtain a copy of any or all of the documents referred to above which may have been or may be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, except for exhibits to those documents (unless the exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into those documents) at no cost to you by writing or telephoning us at the following address: Office of the Corporate Secretary, Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, New York 11790, telephone (631) 240-8800.

Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments to those reports, and other information that we file with or furnish to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, can also be accessed free of charge from our website at http://www.adnas.com. These filings will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not part of this prospectus supplement.

PROSPECTUS

$50,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Rights

Units

We may offer and sell, from time to time in one or more offerings, up to $50,000,000.00 of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and rights, or any combination of these securities, and/or units consisting of one or more of these securities. We may also offer common stock or preferred stock upon conversion of debt securities and common stock upon conversion of preferred stock. All of the securities listed above may be sold separately or as units with other securities.

This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to these securities. When we decide to sell a particular class or series of securities, we will provide specific terms of the offered securities in one or more prospectus supplements. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings.

The prospectus supplement, and any documents incorporated by reference, may also add, update or change information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. However, no prospectus supplement shall offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness. You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as well as the documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and any free writing prospectus carefully before you invest. This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement relating to the offered securities.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APDN.” Each prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to our listing on any securities exchange of the securities covered by the prospectus supplement. The aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates was $47,216,546 based on 4,677,995 shares of outstanding common stock, of which 462,232 shares are held by affiliates, and a price of $11.20 per share, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock as quoted on The Nasdaq Capital Market on May 18, 2020. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, in no event will we sell securities registered in a public primary offering with a value exceeding more than one-third of our public float (the market value of our common stock held by our non-affiliates) in any 12 calendar month period so long as our public float remains below $75.0 million. We have not offered any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 during the prior 12 calendar month period that ends on and includes the date of this prospectus. As of May 18, 2020, one-third of our public float is equal to approximately $15.7 million.

These securities may be sold by us directly to purchasers, through dealers or agents, or to or through underwriters, or through a combination of these methods. See “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus. We may also describe the plan of distribution for any particular offering of our securities in a prospectus supplement. If any agents, underwriters or dealers are involved in the sale of any securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, we will disclose their names and the nature of our arrangements with them in a prospectus supplement. The net proceeds we expect to receive from any such sale will also be included in a prospectus supplement.

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See the sections entitled “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, in any Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in any Periodic Report on Form 8-K, as well as in any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus related to these specific offerings.

We may amend or supplement this prospectus from time to time by filing amendments or supplements as required or related free writing prospectuses. You should read the entire prospectus and any amendments or supplements carefully before you make your investment decision.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is May 21, 2020

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a Registration Statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time securities described in this prospectus having a maximum aggregate offering price of $50,000,000.00 in one or more offerings. Each time we offer securities, we will prepare and file with the SEC a prospectus supplement or information that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus that describes the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities we offer. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings and securities. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or the documents incorporated herein by reference. You should read carefully this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus together with additional information described below under the caption “Where You Can Find More Information.”

This prospectus does not contain all the information provided in the Registration Statement we filed with the SEC. For further information about us or our securities offered hereby, you should refer to that Registration Statement, which you can obtain from the SEC as described below under “Where You Can Find More Information.”

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus is not an offer to sell securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy securities, in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus as well as information we have previously filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference, is accurate as of the date of those documents only. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. This prospectus incorporates by reference, and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may contain and incorporate by reference, market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information and we have not independently verified this information. Although we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the market and industry data presented in this prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference, these estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on this information.

We may sell securities through underwriters or dealers, through agents, directly to purchasers or through any combination of these methods. We and our agents reserve the sole right to accept or reject in whole or in part any proposed purchase of securities. The prospectus supplement, which we will prepare and file with the SEC each time we offer securities, will set forth the names of any underwriters, agents or others involved in the sale of securities, and any applicable fee, commission or discount arrangements with them. See “Plan of Distribution.”

In this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated, the “Registrant,” “our company,” “we,” “us” or “our” refer to Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This prospectus summary highlights certain information about our company and other information contained elsewhere in this prospectus or in documents incorporated by reference. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before making an investment decision. You should carefully read the entire prospectus, any prospectus supplement, including the section entitled “Risk Factors” and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus, before making an investment decision.

THE OFFERING

This prospectus is part of a Registration Statement that we filed with the SEC utilizing a shelf registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may sell any combination of:

in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $50,000,000.00. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that specific offering and include a discussion of any risk factors or other special considerations that apply to those securities. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

OUR COMPANY

Overview

We develop and market DNA-based technology solutions utilizing our LinearDNA^TM large-scale polymerase chain reaction (“PCR”) based manufacturing platform. Our proprietary platform produces large quantities of DNA for use in the nucleic acid-based in vitro diagnostics and preclinical nucleic-acid based drug development and manufacturing markets, and for supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft applications. We are also developing our invasive circulating tumor cell capture and identification technology (“iCTC Technology”) which uses a patented functional assay to capture live invasive circulating tumor cell and associated lymphocytes that can be identified and expanded for further analysis. Our LinearDNA^TM PCR platform is capable of producing large scale DNA.

We are currently engaged in the large scale production of DNA via our LinearDNA^TM platform for two primary lines of services:

Biotherapeutic Contract Research and Manufacturing

Our patented continuous flow PCR systems and other proprietary PCR-based production technologies allow for the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences. We have the ability to manufacture DNA sequences for use in nucleic acid-based therapeutics such as adoptive cell therapies (CAR T and TCR therapies), DNA vaccines, RNA therapies, gene therapy and nucleic acid-based in vitro diagnostics.

Non-Biological Tagging and Related Services

Our supply chain security business allows our customers to use non-biologic DNA (molecular) tags, produced via our LinearDNA^TM platform, to mark objects, and then identify these objects by detecting the absence or presence of the molecular tag. Our core products include:

iCTC Technology

We recently acquired technology that uses a patented functional assay to capture live invasive circulating tumor cell and associated lymphocytes. Currently, our iCTC Technology is being used in a human cancer drug candidate clinical trial. We seek to further develop and commercialize this technology and to potentially integrate aspects of the iCTC technology with the LinearDNA^TM platform for cancer research and nucleic-acid based drug development.

Corporate History

We are a Delaware corporation, which was initially formed in 1983 under the laws of the State of Florida as Datalink Systems, Inc. In 1998, we reincorporated in the State of Nevada, and in 2002, we changed our name to our current name, Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. In December 2008, we reincorporated from Nevada to the State of Delaware. Our subsidiary, LineaRx, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on September 11, 2018.

Our corporate headquarters are located at the Long Island High Technology Incubator at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, where we established laboratories for the manufacture of molecular tags, product prototyping, molecular tag authentication and bulk DNA production. The address of our corporate headquarters is 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, New York 11790, and our telephone number is (631) 240-8800. We maintain a website at www.adnas.com where general information about us is available. The information on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into and should not be considered a part of this registration statement.

To date, we have had a limited operating history with our current business model, and as a result, our operations have produced limited revenues.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Prior to making a decision about investing in our securities, you should carefully consider and evaluate the specific factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 filed on December 12, 2019, with the SEC, as amended, and any updates described in subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Periodic Reports on Form 8-K, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, and may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our operations. The occurrence of these known or unknown risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

See also the statements contained under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements.”

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are intended to qualify for the “safe harbor” created by those sections. In addition, we may make forward-looking statements in other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, and our management and other representatives may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing to analysts, investors, representatives of the media and others. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and include, but are not limited to, statements using terminology such as “can”, “may”, “could”, “should”, “assume”, “forecasts”, “believe”, “designated to”, “will”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “potential”, “position”, “predicts”, “strategy”, “guidance”, “intend”, “budget”, “seek”, “project” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, including risks relating to the recent outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they:

We believe it is important to communicate our expectations. However, forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about our business and our industry and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Accordingly, our actual results and the timing of certain events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors and risks, including, but not limited to, those set forth under “Risk Factors” and “Our Company” set forth in this prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference., and the following factors and risks:

All forward-looking statements and risk factors included in this prospectus are made as of the date hereof, and all forward-looking statements and risk factors included in documents incorporated herein by reference are made as of their original date, in each case based on information available to us as of the date hereof, or in the case of documents incorporated by reference, the original date of any such document, and we assume no obligations to update any forward-looking statement or risk factor, unless we are required to do so by law. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make updates with respect to other forward-looking statements or that we will make any further updates to those forward-looking statements at any future time.

Forward-looking statements may include our plans and objectives for future operations, including plans and objectives relating to our products and our future economic performance, projections, business strategy and timing and likelihood of success. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions, future business decisions, and the time and money required to successfully complete development and commercialization of our technologies, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond our control.

Any of the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus could prove inaccurate and, therefore, we cannot assure you that any of the results or events contemplated in any of such forward-looking statements will be realized. Based on the significant uncertainties inherent in these forward-looking statements, the inclusion of any such statement should not be regarded as a representation or as a guarantee by us that our objectives or plans will be achieved, and we caution you against relying on any of the forward looking-statements contained herein.

Our trademarks currently used in the United States include Applied DNA Sciences®, SigNature® molecular tags, SigNature® T molecular tags, fiberTyping®, DNAnet®, SigNify®, Beacon®, CertainT® and LinearDNA^TM. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies. All trademarks, service marks and trade names included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus are the property of the respective owners.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities covered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include, but is not limited to, working capital, capital expenditures, business development and research and development expenditures and acquisitions of new technologies or businesses. The precise amount, use and timing of the application of such proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability and cost of other capital. Additional information on the use of net proceeds from an offering of securities covered by this prospectus may be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the specific offering.

DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends to stockholders in the foreseeable future. In addition, any future determination to pay cash dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, and such other factors as our board of directors deem relevant.
 

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

The descriptions of the securities contained in this prospectus, together with any applicable prospectus supplement, summarize all the material terms and provisions of the various types of securities that we may offer. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering the specific terms of the securities offered by that prospectus supplement. We will indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement if the terms of the securities differ from the terms we have summarized below. We will also include in the prospectus supplement information, where applicable, regarding material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the securities.

We may sell from time to time, in one or more offerings:

This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

Capital Stock

General

The following description of common stock and preferred stock, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the common stock and preferred stock that we may offer under this prospectus but is not complete. For the complete terms of our common stock and preferred stock, please refer to our certificate of incorporation, as may be amended from time to time (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), any certificates of designation for our preferred stock, that may be authorized from time to time, and our by-laws, as amended from time to time. The Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) may also affect the terms of these securities. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future common stock or preferred stock that we may offer, we will describe the specific terms of any series of these securities in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we so indicate in a prospectus supplement, the terms of any common stock or preferred stock we offer under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below.

As of May 18, 2020, our authorized capital stock consists of 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which 4,677,995 shares were issued and outstanding, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which no shares were issued and outstanding. The actual number of stockholders is greater than the number of stockholders of record and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees. This number of holders of record also does not include stockholders whose shares may be held in trust by other entities. In addition, as of May 18, 2020, there were issued and outstanding options to purchase 234,015 shares of our common stock, warrants to purchase 1,503,703 shares of our common stock, 70,963 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of secured convertible notes and 117,915 shares available for grant under our 2005 Incentive Stock Plan, as amended and restated as of January 21, 2015, and as further amended on May 16, 2019. The authorized and unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities may be listed. Unless approval of our stockholders is so required, our board of directors will not seek stockholder approval for the issuance and sale of our common stock.

Common Stock

Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share issued and outstanding held on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders. Our shares of common stock have no preemptive, conversion, or redemption rights. The rights, preferences, and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock we may issue in the future. Upon the sale of substantially all of our stock or assets or dissolution, liquidation or winding up, and after all liquidation preferences payable to any series of preferred stock entitled thereto have been satisfied, our remaining assets shall be distributed to all holders of common stock and any similarly situated stockholders who are not entitled to any liquidation preference or, if there be an insufficient amount to pay all such stockholders, then ratably among such holders. All of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable. The holders of shares of our common stock will be entitled to such dividends and other distributions in cash, stock or property from our assets or funds legally available for such purposes as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “APDN.” American Stock Transfer & Trust Company is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

Preferred Stock

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our board of directors may, by resolution, designate classes of preferred stock in the future. The designated series of preferred stock shall have such powers, designations, preferences and relative, participation or optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions as shall be expressed in the resolution adopted by the board of directors. Once designated by our board of directors, each series of preferred stock will have specific financial and other terms described in the documents that govern the preferred stock, which include our Certificate of Incorporation and any certificates of designation that our board of directors may adopt. Prior to the issuance of shares of each series of preferred stock, the board of directors is required by the DGCL and our Certificate of Incorporation to adopt resolutions and file a certificate of designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The certificate of designation fixes for each class or series the designations, powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions, including, but not limited to, some or all of the following:

Although our board of directors has no intention at the present time of doing so, it could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of such series, impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt.

Possible Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws

Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws contain provisions that could make it more difficult to acquire control of our company by means of a tender offer, open market purchases, a proxy contest or otherwise. A description of these provisions is set forth below.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law

Companies incorporated in Delaware are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL unless the corporation has “opted out” of these provisions with an express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or an express provision in its certificate of incorporation or by-laws resulting from a stockholders’ amendment approved by at least a majority of the outstanding voting shares. We have opted out of Section 203 with an express provision in our Certificate of Incorporation. Therefore, the anti-takeover effects of Section 203 do not apply to us.

Generally, Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or did own within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock.

Election and Removal of Directors

Directors will be elected by a plurality of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the stockholders meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. Our Certificate of Incorporation does not provide for a classified board of directors or for cumulative voting in the election of directors. Under Article VIII of the Certificate of Incorporation and Section 3.13 of the By-Laws, directors may be removed by the stockholders of our company only for cause, and in such case only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of our company then entitled to vote in the election of directors. On December 21, 2015, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware invalidated as a matter of law certain provisions of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of VAALCO Energy, Inc. (“VAALCO”), a Delaware corporation, that permitted the removal of VAALCO’s directors by its stockholders only for cause. In In re VAALCO Energy, Inc. Stockholder Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 11775-VCL (Del. Ch. Dec. 21, 2015), the Court ruled from the bench to hold that, in the absence of a classified board of directors or cumulative voting, VAALCO’s “only for-cause” director removal provisions conflict with Section 141(k) of the DGCL and are therefore invalid. Because our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws contain similar “only for-cause” director removal provisions and our company does not have a classified board of directors or cumulative voting, our company will not attempt to enforce the foregoing “only for-cause” director removal provision in light of the VAALCO decision.

Size of Board of Directors and Vacancies

The authorized number of directors may be determined by the board of directors, provided the board shall consist of at least one (1) member. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the board of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

Vacancies occurring on our board of directors for any reason and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled only by a vote of a majority of the remaining members of the board of directors, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, at any meeting of the board of directors.

Amendment

The Certificate of Incorporation may be amended by approval of the board of directors and vote of a majority of the outstanding stock entitled to vote (and vote of a majority of the outstanding stock of each class entitled to vote as a class, if applicable) pursuant to the Sections 141 and 242 of the DGCL. The board of directors is authorized to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the By-Laws by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the board of directors then in office. No amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws may adversely affect any indemnification right or protection of any director, officer, employee or other agent existing at the time of such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision for or in respect of any act, omission or other matter occurring, or any action or proceeding accruing or arising prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision.

Authorized but Unissued Shares of Common Stock and of Preferred Stock

We believe that the availability of the “Blank Check” preferred stock under our Certificate of Incorporation provides us with flexibility in addressing corporate issues that may arise. The board of directors has the power, subject to applicable law, to issue series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt that some, or a majority, of the stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which stockholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then prevailing market price of the stock. Our board of directors may issue preferred stock with voting rights or conversion rights that, if exercised, could adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock.

The authorized shares of preferred stock, as well as shares of common stock, will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities may be listed. Having these authorized shares available for issuance allows us to issue shares without the expense and delay of a special stockholders’ meeting. We may use additional shares for a variety of purposes, including future public or private offerings to raise additional capital, to fund acquisitions and as employee compensation. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise. The above provisions may deter a hostile takeover or delay a change in control or management of our company.

Advance Notice Procedure

Our By-Laws provide an advance notice procedure for stockholders to nominate director candidates for election or to bring business before an annual meeting of stockholders. Only persons nominated by, or at the direction of, our board of directors or by a stockholder of record who has given proper and timely notice to our secretary prior to the meeting at which such stockholder is entitled to vote and appears, will be eligible for election as a director. In addition, any proposed business other than the nomination of persons for election to our board of directors must constitute a proper matter for stockholder action pursuant to a proper notice of meeting delivered to us. For notice to be timely, it must generally be delivered to our secretary not less than 90 nor more than 120 calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the previous year’s annual meeting (or if the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 calendar days before or more than 60 calendar days after the anniversary date of the previous year’s annual meeting, not earlier than the 120th calendar day prior to such meeting and not later than either the 90th calendar day prior to such meeting or the 10th calendar day after public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made by us). These advance notice provisions may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempt to obtain control of us.

Special Meetings of Stockholders

Our By-Laws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called only by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the board of directors.

Warrants

The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and any related warrant agreement and warrant certificate. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the specific terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which includes this prospectus.

General

We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.

We will evidence each series of warrants by warrant certificates that we may issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into a warrant agreement with a warrant agent. Each warrant agent may be a bank or trust company that we select which has its principal office in the United States. We may also choose to act as our own warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of any such warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants, including:

Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including:

Exercise of Warrants

Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to 5:00 P.M. eastern time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

Holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants by delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required exercise price by the methods provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate, and in the applicable prospectus supplement, the information that the holder of the warrant will be required to deliver to the warrant agent.

Upon receipt of the required payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue and deliver the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, then we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining amount of warrants.

Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Warrants

Any warrant agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action the holder’s right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants in accordance with their terms.

Warrant Agreement Will Not Be Qualified Under Trust Indenture Act

No warrant agreement will be qualified as an indenture, and no warrant agent will be required to qualify as a trustee, under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of warrants issued under a warrant agreement will not have the protection of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to their warrants.

Governing Law

Each warrant agreement and any warrants issued under the warrant agreements will be governed by New York law.

Calculation Agent

Any calculations relating to warrants may be made by a calculation agent, an institution that we appoint as our agent for this purpose. The prospectus supplement for a particular warrant will name the institution that we have appointed to act as the calculation agent for that warrant as of the original issue date for that warrant, if any. We may appoint a different institution to serve as calculation agent from time to time after the original issue date without the consent or notification of the holders. The calculation agent’s determination of any amount of money payable or securities deliverable with respect to a warrant will be final and binding in the absence of manifest error.

Outstanding Warrants

As of May 18, 2020, we had outstanding 1,503,703 warrants to purchase 1,503,703 shares of our common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $9.11. Our Warrant Agent for registered warrants is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

Debt Securities

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.

We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.

The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee named in the prospectus supplement. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.

General

The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. (Section 2.2) The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).

We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. (Section 2.1) We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:

We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.

If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Transfer and Exchange

Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC” or the “Depositary”) or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.

Certificated Debt Securities. You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. (Section 2.4) No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange. (Section 2.7)

You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.

Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System. Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. Please see the section entitled “Global Securities” for more information.

Covenants

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities. (Article IV)

No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control

Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions that may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”) unless:

Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to us. (Section 5.1)

Events of Default

“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:

No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. (Section 6.1) The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.

We will provide the trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action we are taking or propose to take in respect thereof. (Section 6.1)

If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. (Section 6.2) We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.

The indenture provides that the trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture, unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense that might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power. (Section 7.1(e)) Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series. (Section 6.12)

No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:

Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, and premium and any interest on, that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment. (Section 6.8)

The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. (Section 4.3) If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each holder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities. (Section 7.5)

Modification and Waiver

We and the trustee may modify, amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:

We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:

Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. (Section 9.2) The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or any interest on, any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration. (Section 6.13)

Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances

Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.

This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred. (Section 8.3)

Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:

The conditions include:

No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Securityholders

None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or securityholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.

Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the debt securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

The indenture will provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities or the transactions contemplated thereby.

The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York, and we, the trustee and the holder of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The indenture will further provide that service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such party’s address set forth in the indenture will be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The indenture will further provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the courts specified above and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum. (Section 10.10)

Outstanding Debt Securities

As of March 31, 2020, we had outstanding $1,485,673 of senior secured notes.

Rights

We may issue rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock or warrants that we may offer to our security holders in one or more series. The rights may or may not be transferable by the persons purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights offering, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other persons would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agent agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent, that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights. A copy of the form of rights agent or subscription agent agreement, including the form of rights certificate representing a series of rights, will be filed with the SEC in connection with the offering of a particular series of rights.

The prospectus supplement relating to any rights that we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering, including, among other matters:

Each right would entitle the holder of the rights to purchase for cash the amount of shares of common stock or preferred stock or warrants at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for the rights provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights will become void.

We may determine to offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than our security holders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Until a holder exercises the rights to purchase shares of our common stock or preferred stock or warrants, the holder will not have any rights as a holder of shares of our common stock or preferred stock or warrants, as the case may be, by virtue of ownership of the rights.

Units

We may issue units consisting of one or more of the other securities described in this prospectus, in any prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder, with the rights and obligations of a holder, of each security included in the unit. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date or upon the occurrence of a specified event or occurrence.

The applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will describe:

Global Securities

Book-Entry, Delivery and Form

Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities (collectively, “global securities”). The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.

DTC has advised us that it is:

DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”). DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as indirect participants, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.

Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.

To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.

So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement for the applicable securities, where notices and demands in respect of the securities and the indenture may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.

Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.

Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.

Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.

So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and unless if otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the applicable trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the applicable trustee or other designated party.

Redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility; disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC; and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.

Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the indenture.

The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.

DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.

As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if:

we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus from time to time in one or more transactions, including, without limitation:

The distribution of securities may be effected, from time to time, in one or more transactions, including:

The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including:

We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at:

Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement are underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement.

If underwriters are used in an offering, we will execute an underwriting agreement with such underwriters and will specify the name of each underwriter and the terms of the transaction (including any underwriting discounts and other terms constituting compensation of the underwriters and any dealers) in a prospectus supplement. The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one or more investment banking firms or others, as designated. If an underwriting syndicate is used, the managing underwriter(s) will be specified on the cover of the prospectus supplement. If underwriters are used in the sale, the offered securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own accounts and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the offered securities will be subject to conditions precedent, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the offered securities, if any are purchased.

We may grant to the underwriters options to purchase additional securities to cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price, with additional underwriting commissions or discounts, as may be set forth in a related prospectus supplement. The terms of any over-allotment option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for those securities.

If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities, we, or an underwriter, will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. To the extent required, we will set forth in the prospectus supplement, document incorporated by reference or free writing prospectus, as applicable, the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions.

We may sell the securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we will pay the agent in the prospectus supplement.

We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus supplement.

In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the securities for whom they act as agents, in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities, and any institutional investors or others that purchase securities directly for the purpose of resale or distribution, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the common stock by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. No FINRA member firm may receive compensation in excess of that allowable under FINRA rules, including Rule 5110, in connection with the offering of the securities.

We may provide agents, underwriters and other purchasers with indemnification against particular civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents, underwriters or other purchasers may make with respect to such liabilities. Agents and underwriters may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.

To facilitate the public offering of a series of securities, persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than have been sold to them by us. In addition, those persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to underwriters or dealers participating in any such offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time. We make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above, if implemented, may have on the price of our securities.

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, any common stock sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement will be eligible for trading as listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice.

In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus will be sold in those states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states securities may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and complied with.

So long as the aggregate market value of our voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates is less than $75,000,000 and so long as required by the rules of the SEC, the amount of securities we may offer hereunder will be limited such that the aggregate market value of securities sold by us during a period of 12 calendar months cannot exceed one-third of the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates.

To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the issuance of the offered securities will be passed upon for us by Pepper Hamilton LLP, New York, New York.

EXPERTS

Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2019, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in the prospectus and elsewhere in this registration statement. Our consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Marcum LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

This prospectus and any subsequent prospectus supplements do not contain all of the information in the Registration Statement. We have omitted from this prospectus some parts of the Registration Statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we have filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified in their entirety by reference to these filings. In addition, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information that registrants file electronically with the SEC, including us. The SEC’s website can be found at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, we make available on or through our website copies of these reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file or furnished them to the SEC. Our website can be found at http:www.adnas.com. Our website is not a part of this prospectus.

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

We have elected to incorporate certain information by reference into this prospectus. By incorporating by reference, we can disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents we have filed or will file with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, except for information incorporated by reference that is superseded by information contained in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any statements in the prospectus or any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents set forth below that we have previously filed with the SEC, except in each case the information contained in such document to the extent “furnished” and not “filed”:

We also incorporate by reference all documents we file in the future pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and prior to the sale of all the securities covered by this prospectus (including all such documents filed with the SEC after the date of the initial filing of the Registration Statement that contains this prospectus and prior to effectiveness of the Registration Statement or after such effectiveness), except in each case the information contained in such document to the extent “furnished” and not “filed.”

You may obtain copies of these documents on the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov, or from us without charge (other than exhibits to such documents, unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into such documents) by writing us at Corporate Secretary, Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, New York 11790 or visiting our website at http://www.adnas.com.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein, any prospectus supplement or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus. 

1,810,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

Roth Capital Partners

January 10, 2021