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Decarbonizing our economies in the race to combat climate change requires a comprehensive overhaul of all types of production processes to make them as sustainable as possible. Green chemicals, which are used as ingredients in all kinds of products, are where UK startups are getting their start Deep Blue Biotechnology He exerts his energies.
The biotech startup, founded in May 2023, is building a business around a form of photosynthesis-based biomanufacturing that will enable it to manufacture chemicals in a way that is more environmentally friendly than traditional production methods, such as fossil fuel refining.
The startup also claims that its method can achieve cost parity with traditional chemical production since the genetically modified microorganisms it uses to produce the chemicals only require feeding on relatively cheap ingredients: light, water, and carbon dioxide.2.
She says this contrasts favorably with microfermentation, another microbe-based production method that requires more expensive raw materials (such as sugar) as well.
Cyanobacteria
Deep Blue Biotech works with a strain of cyanobacteria – also known as blue-green algae (but note that these single-celled microorganisms are actually Prokaryotes(instead of algae) – Using genetic engineering and computational modeling to transform bacteria sometimes known colloquially as “pond scum” into microscopic production factories for green chemicals.
The startup says its method is “net positive” in terms of carbon emissions, meaning the process removes more carbon dioxide than it produces, because cyanobacteria consume greenhouse gases during photosynthesis.
It also claims that its approach to bioengineering means it can produce more effective chemicals. It wants to improve on the industry’s previous attempts to formulate more sustainable (chemical) ingredients which often resulted in less effective products, making it tougher to sell to consumers.
These are the “green chemicals” that will provide sustainability and performance, says Deep Blue Biotech.
“Unfortunately, the first generation of green chemicals did very poorly,” co-founder Manuel Rios, former vice president of sustainable design at Unilever, tells TechCrunch. “It has been more expensive and less effective, and we need to address this impact that has occurred in the last 10 years.”
“What we’re starting to see with synthetic biology, in general, is that because of the way we create and design molecules, you can actually go toward functionality — something we haven’t been able to do in the past.” He tells us.
“So we’ve created a new generation of sustainable materials, a new generation of green chemicals, that are environmentally conscious — but fundamentally superior in functionality. And that’s what we want to create.”
Cost effective components
The cost of producing chemicals can be another major selling point, depending on the industry sector you’re targeting, according to Rios. The startup uses computational modeling to identify chemicals that are cost-effective to target the new production method.
“We chose chemicals in the $2,000 to $3,000 per kilo range, which allows us to get good profit margins while still offering a discount versus existing technology,” he suggests.
Deep Blue Biotech started with a sales pitch targeting beauty and cosmetics companies. Rios says the textile industry will likely follow — pushing clothing makers to use more environmentally friendly fabric dyes.
The first substance it produces is hyaluronic acid, which is an ingredient in many skin care products and cosmetic treatments that can also have medical uses.
“We are not going to save the world with cosmetics but… what we are trying to do with this industry specifically is that we believe it has the potential to change perceptions,” he says, adding: “We believe that a partner like the beauty industry – with high levels of Participation – will allow us (to be) more effective.
Cosmetics also offers a faster path to market than some other applications that could have been focused on.
Rios notes that the team was originally thinking about producing biofuel, but decided it would take too long to translate it from the lab to the market. He stresses that they are keen to make a positive impact sooner rather than later.
While there has been interest in photosynthesis biosynthesis before now – including biofuel production – Rios points out that commercialization has been hampered by low production rates. The startup believes it has made a breakthrough thanks to the use of a high-yielding strain of cyanobacteria that was discovered relatively recently.
“The main advantage of this strain is that it is three times faster (in growth) than any other strain of cyanobacteria ever discovered and has seven times more productivity. He suggests that this kind of breaks down barriers in terms of commercialization.”
Pre-seed
It’s still early days for Deep Blue Biotech, which is announcing an $800,000 seed round to continue building toward a commercial MVP — a “small-scale demonstration” of production in this context.
The round was led by Sustainable Ventures, with participation from One Planet Capital, PCSI, and SFC Capital. Also included are two Innovation UK Grants.
The funding will be used to initiate the first paid pilots, and enter into joint development agreements with customers to incorporate Deep Blue Biotech’s hyaluronic acid into their own products. (Rios notes that they have several signed letters of intent with cosmetics companies that he hopes will be future clients, including his former employer.)
In addition, they will use the capital to find the second ingredient (possibly the textile dye mentioned above).
A portion of the funding will also be spent on filing a patent application, according to Rios, who stressed that they intend to take steps to ensure their approach is defensible. Growing the team to expand internal expertise in bioprocess engineering is also on the cards, he says.
“We are in the experimental phase because we are scaling up and genetic engineering in parallel,” he tells us.
“Each sector (we target) will have a different business strategy,” he adds. “But ultimately, the scaling of this technology – first and foremost, the fact that downstream processing is so simple – gives a very clear competitive advantage versus any other technology.”
It is also suggested that having a “standardized” production process is another key element that can support rapid expansion. Photobioreactors are used to create the appropriate environment for growing cyanobacteria. Unlike the stainless steel vessels that are typical of microfermentation systems, these machines feature transparent tubing to let light in, so light-sensitive microorganisms can feed and grow.
Adding more pipes allows for easier capacity expansion, Rios says. He says: “The method of connecting the system is in batches,” noting that “we work with (partners) who have this ability.”
As for competitors, he name-checks the French biotech company Microvitwhich has been working with microalgae for many years, has signed a strategic partnership with cosmetics giant L’Oréal Again in 2022as “interesting”. But he points out that their focus is “a little different.”
He mentioned that another company that works with cyanobacteria specifically – and uses the same strain – is based in Australia Bondi Bio.
Regarding the company’s position in the market, Rios adds: “One of our advantages is that I know what the right buttons are to push in this industry.” “So we designed a specific hyaluronic acid…that we knew[would]have very rapid traction in the market, a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid with a specific property (high penetration into the skin).”
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