Key Takeaways:
- Innovative Collaboration: GreenLab and Ginkgo Bioworks announce a partnership to scale the production of brazzein, a high-intensity natural sweetener.
- Biotechnological Advancements: The collaboration leverages both companies’ expertise in plant biotechnology and protein engineering to produce brazzein at commercial levels.
- Market Impact: This partnership aims to meet growing consumer demand for natural sugar alternatives, potentially revolutionizing the sweetener market.
Introduction to the Partnership
GreenLab, a pioneering plant-biotechnology company, and Ginkgo Bioworks, a leader in cell programming and biosecurity, have initiated a new partnership focused on the commercial-scale production of brazzein. Brazzein is a sweet-tasting protein naturally found in the fruit of the West African Oubli plant, known for being up to 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose.
Background and Market Demand
The global sugar replacement market is experiencing growth, driven by increasing health concerns related to obesity and the negative impacts of artificial sweeteners. Brazzein offers a promising natural alternative, potentially serving a wide range of applications in the food and beverage industry.
Technological Approach
GreenLab’s proprietary technology enables the production of enzymes and proteins like brazzein directly within corn kernels, allowing scalable production across extensive agricultural areas without significant upfront investment. Ginkgo Bioworks will contribute its expertise through three main services:
- Plant Trait Services: Enhancing the expression of brazzein in corn kernels to competitive levels.
- Protein Services: Expressing brazzein using precision fermentation in microbial systems.
- Deployment Capabilities: Developing processes to purify brazzein from both corn kernels and fermentation broths.
Statements from Leadership
Karen Wilson, CEO of GreenLab, expressed enthusiasm about leveraging Ginkgo’s comprehensive services to meet market demands for brazzein efficiently and with reduced risk, citing their ongoing partnership as a foundation for this innovative approach. Sneha Srikrishnan, Senior Director of Business Development and Product Lead at Ginkgo Bioworks, highlighted the successful outcomes of their existing relationship, which paved the way for this new venture. Brennan Duty, also from Ginkgo, emphasized the goal of providing healthier sweetener alternatives and optimizing protein expression technologies in both plant and microbial systems.
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