Key Takeaways
- Ginkgo Bioworks and Agricen have completed an initial collaboration focused on fermentation process optimization.
- The project delivered a low-cost, efficient process for producing complex bacterial strains.
- The optimized process supports one of Agricen’s soil amendment products.
- The collaboration highlights growing demand for scalable biological solutions in agriculture.
- Agricen plans to use the efficiency gains to accelerate development across its product pipeline.
Ginkgo Bioworks Supports Agricen With Fermentation Process Optimization
Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), a provider of research and development services for biological product development, and Agricen, a company specializing in biological and soil amendment solutions for plant nutrition and health, announced the successful completion of their initial collaboration.
The collaboration focused on developing and optimizing a low-cost, efficient fermentation process for complex bacterial strains used in one of Agricen’s soil amendment products. According to the companies, the work improves production efficiency while reducing operational complexity.
“Ginkgo's unique approach to process development and optimization brought an efficiency for developing a custom fermentation process that we didn't see with other toll producers,” said Michael Totora, President and CEO of Agricen. “They delivered, giving us more time to focus on advancing solutions in our pipeline.”
Improving Efficiency in Biological Production
Agricen noted that fermentation process development for complex microbes is often handled internally, but the company sought external expertise to improve efficiency. Ginkgo’s team applied its platform capabilities to simplify the process while maintaining performance standards.
The optimized fermentation workflow enables Agricen to produce microbes faster and more efficiently, supporting scale-up of its soil amendment products. The companies stated that this demonstrates the value of applying advanced bioprocess technologies at later stages of agricultural product development.
Ginkgo Bioworks and Agricen Advance Agricultural Biologicals
Growers are increasingly adopting biological solutions to improve yield, crop quality, and stress tolerance while maintaining soil health. Agricen has spent more than two decades developing and commercializing biological and soil amendment technologies designed to improve nutrient availability, enhance plant uptake, and support soil biome function.
The collaboration with Ginkgo enables Agricen to strengthen manufacturing efficiency for these products, supporting broader commercialization efforts with global partners.
“At Ginkgo, we understand the urgency for next-generation agricultural solutions that can support growers, consumers, and the planet,” said Michael Miille, General Manager of Ginkgo’s agriculture business unit. “It has been a pleasure to work alongside Agricen to deliver an optimized process.”
Platform Capabilities and Future Applications
Ginkgo stated that its platform supports partners across the full bioprocess development lifecycle, from early-stage media and process screening to commercial-scale manufacturing. The platform accommodates production volumes ranging from 20 liters to 3,000 liters.
The company aims to continue advancing agricultural biological solutions across crops and geographies by helping partners gain efficiencies in process development and scale-up.
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