Ambrosia Bio, an Israeli food tech company, has announced a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, a leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity. The collaboration aims to develop a scalable production process for Ambrosia Bio’s proprietary enzymes used in the conversion of feedstock into allulose, a low-calorie sugar replacement.
Allulose is a rare sugar that occurs naturally in small amounts in certain foods such as figs, raisins, wheat, maple syrup, and molasses. It has gained attention as a sugar substitute due to its low caloric value, typically less than 10% compared to sucrose, and its minimal impact on blood glucose and insulin levels while maintaining the sensory and culinary properties of sugar.
Mass production of allulose requires enzymatic conversion of common carbohydrates, but many of the natural enzymes available on the market lack stability and effectiveness. Ambrosia Bio has spent the past three years developing a unique bioprocess using proprietary enzymes and a complementary production process to convert lower-margin feedstocks into rare sugars and specialized ingredients like allulose. Their approach has demonstrated remarkable process stability and fidelity across various conditions, outperforming current benchmarks.
To further optimize their process, Ambrosia Bio will leverage Ginkgo Bioworks’ Enzyme Services, which include proprietary chassis organisms and advanced screening techniques. Ginkgo’s expertise in strain engineering and protein design, coupled with their Foundry capabilities in enzyme expression and analytical chemistry, will assist Ambrosia Bio in producing an optimized version of their proprietary enzyme in a productive expression strain. This collaboration aims to develop a more scalable and affordable commercial allulose solution.
Ziv Zwighaft, Founder and CEO at Ambrosia Bio, expressed excitement about partnering with Ginkgo Bioworks and their ability to expand global allulose availability. The goal is to provide affordable options for sugar production players and leading global brands in the food and beverage industry, allowing them to offer reduced-sugar products without compromising taste or sensory traits.
Mervyn de Souza, Senior Director of Business Development at Ginkgo Bioworks, highlighted Ambrosia Bio’s high-performance enzymes and their potential to significantly reduce the cost associated with mass-producing allulose. This partnership paves the way for the development of reduced-sugar products without compromising the consumer experience.
The collaboration between Ambrosia Bio and Ginkgo Bioworks showcases the power of synthetic biology and precision fermentation in revolutionizing the sugar replacement industry. By leveraging advanced bioprocessing techniques and cutting-edge enzyme design, these companies aim to democratize the global use of allulose and provide innovative solutions for the food and beverage market.
Ginkgo Bioworks, known for its horizontal platform for cell programming, offers end-to-end services for diverse markets, including food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and industrial and specialty chemicals. They are also building global infrastructure for biosecurity through their biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, which helps prevent, detect, and respond to biological threats.
Ambrosia Bio is a food tech company specializing in revamping sugar refineries into specialty ingredient production sites. Their proprietary enzyme-based biotechnological platform and production process allow them to convert everyday sugars into low- to no-calorie rare sugars like allulose and dietary fibers. Ambrosia Bio’s solution seamlessly integrates with existing sugar producers’ manufacturing processes, providing flexibility in balancing production between conventional and high-end portfolio products.
The partnership between Ambrosia Bio and Ginkgo Bioworks holds great promise for advancing the sugar replacement industry. By combining their expertise in bioprocessing, enzyme engineering, and synthetic biology, these companies are ready to transform the production of allulose and pave the way for healthier and more sustainable food options.
Image provided by Ambrosia Bio
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