Biotechnology Awards 2020

14 GHP / 2020 Biotechnology Awards , Feb20017 Synthetic biology is the future of sustainability. This nexus of science, engineering, earth, and health is the way forward in terms of ensuring sustainable ways of living for years to come, even as the natural resources of the earth are being slowly depleted. Conagen is a business dedicated to uncovering the metabolic pathways of nature, engineering unique microbes through synthetic biology, and developing high-quality scalable products through specialized fermentation. Primarily, Conagen serves the food and beverage, flavor and fragrance, nutrition, renewable materials, and pharmaceuticals market through its innovation. Yet, the issue of sustainability underpins everything the firm does, especially as it continues to develop in three main areas; nutrition, biopharmaceuticals, and flavors and fragrances. In essence, Conagen ensures future sustainability of the current ways of life by developing molecules that are identical to what nature produces or as close as science can get. Sustainable production and clean labels enabled by bio-manufacturing will better allow brands all over the world to meet the ever-growing consumer trends and demands for plant-based products and other planet-friendly solutions. Conagen began its journey to Conagen At this moment in time, the topic of sustainability and sustainable living is one of the most crucial that science is currently endeavouring to understand. In order to develop sustainable methods of living every day, there must be a keen understanding of natural biology. From there, science can grow. Conagen is one firmdedicated to such growth, advancing the ways natural products are manufactured withmolecule-per-molecule precision and customization. Following the firm’s double award-winning success, we took a closer look to understand what makes Conagen such an innovative business. Best Sustainable Flavouring BioManufacturer 2020 - USA & Most Transcendent Natural Flavour and Fragrance Manufacturer 2020 - USA Contact Details: Company: Conagen Contact: Ana Arakelian Website: www.conagen.com this point working in the field of biochemistry and botanical product biosynthesis. With a wealth of experience in the industry at its back, the firm has become one of the world’s foremost firms involved in developing and creating the molecules of nature. Conagen’s continuous investigation and innovation has resulted in the development of dozens of proprietary technologies to make more than thirty different small molecule natural products. A perfect example of this can be seen in the next generation of Stevia-based sweeteners. Previous generations, containing more abundant amounts of rebaudioside A (Reb A), have a slight aftertaste and can be bitter. These early Stevia extracts also contain very little of the sweetest and best tasting rebaudiosides, like Reb M, E, and D. Conagen’s bioengineers developed a process where the most abundant and least desirable rebaudiosides are converted to the most desirable and best tasting ones. Leveraging its extensive fermentation and synthetic biology expertise, Conagen helped to change the game for sweeteners today. Moving forward, the firm’s focus will remain on three core areas; nutrition, biopharmaceuticals, and flavors and fragrances. Regarding nutrition, Bruce Ames, Ph.D. named the amino acid L-ergothioneine (L-ergo) a “longevity vitamin”, and suggested it should join the alphabet vitamins given its powerful antioxidant, anti- inflammatory, and healthy ageing properties. Conagen is keeping its finger on the pulse of emerging correlative research revealing the health and nutritional benefits of L-ergo, and is ready to leap into action at any moment. Just a few weeks ago, a story emerged about researchers in Japan working with mushrooms rich in L-ergo which gave rise to many new theories and excitement around what could be coming next for Conagen. As previously mentioned, the firm’s expertise in plant led directly to the novel development and scale-up of natural flavors and fragrances. Natural fragrance compounds are used widely across food, cosmetics, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals; all markets in which Conagen has expertise. The firm’s portfolio of scarce and exotic terpenes enables manufacturers to create new or reformulated products without further threatening plant diversity. Recently, Conagen announced a partnership with German firm BASF, with both capitalising on one another’s provenance and heritage in plant biology and biomanufacturing capabilities. Finally, the biopharmaceuticals aspect of Conagen’s future is one of great excitement; both scientifically and financially. At present, the firm is developing a new glycoprotein platform. When complete, the platform itself has the potential to make a huge impact on the $100 billion immunotherapy and antibody drug conjugate market. The world is increasingly focused on sustainable ways of living, and Conagen’s molecular understanding of plant biology is the key to unlocking that for the masses. For most of human history it simply made sense to use the plant, animal, and more recently petrochemical resources available, regardless of how wasteful or unsustainable they may be. Conagen is seeking to ensure that there no longer needs to be a choice. Through inventiveness, innovation, and ingenuity, the nexus of science and nature will better serve the greater good of humanity far into to future.