Partnership to Produce Natural Colors
Octarine Bio and Ginkgo Bioworks Announce Partnership to Produce Natural Colors
Octarine Bio, a company that uses synthetic biology to create novel, environmentally friendly bio-based ingredients, and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is constructing the industry's top cell-programming and biosecurity platform, announced a multi-stage partnership focused on compounds in the tryptophan pathway, with the objective of engineering a strain for producing violacein and its derivatives, a naturally occurring bis-indole pigment with potent bioactive properties including anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and UV protective properties.
Despite being initially concentrated on violacein, the collaboration may eventually include other tryptophan-derived substances, each with its own special applications.
Despite having been linked to detrimental effects on both human health and the environment, the vast majority of textiles are still produced using synthetic colors and dyes made from fossil fuels.
About 20% of all wastewater produced globally, according to the United Nations Environment Program and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is produced by the dyeing and processing of fabrics.
According to the European Environment Agency, the consumption of textiles has a fourth-highest impact on the environment and climate change in Europe, a third-highest impact on water and land use, and a fifth-highest impact on the use of raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions.
Synthetic biology offers a viable alternative to this practice by enabling the development of safer and more innovative colors and dyes, made through microbial fermentation. Octarine Bio's exceptional proficiency in enzymatic derivatization, which can enable improved production levels and superior properties of these colors, is a key part of Octarine's technology.
Combined with Ginkgo Bioworks' expertise in strain engineering, a significant opportunity arises for Octarine to introduce new bioactive colors and dyes to the market that address the consumer desires for safer, healthier, and more sustainable alternatives.
Octarine Bio and Ginkgo Bioworks Announce Partnership to Produce Natural Colors
"Natural colors and dyes constitute a significant and expanding market, especially given the heightened awareness from companies and the concerns of consumers about the harmful effects of conventional manufacturing processes," said Ena Cratsenburg, Chief Business Officer at Ginkgo Bioworks.
"This is a robust opportunity to contribute to the sustainability of the fashion industry, and we are excited to be working with Octarine as we aim to produce a new class of safer, high-performing colors and dyes that will appeal to consumers and companies worldwide."
"We are thrilled to work with Ginkgo to improve the bio-based production process for our tryptophan program, focusing on a class of highly sought after natural colors and dyes in difficult to source color spectra," said Dr. Nethaji Gallage, Co-founder & CEO at Octarine.
"We see tremendous potential to apply these natural pigments as bio-based dyes, one of the fastest growing categories in the global textile market, and look forward to leveraging the Ginkgo platform to accelerate its development."
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