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Conagen’s Grant Award Opens New Markets for Monoclonal Antibodies

Bedford, Mass., March 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given a grant to Conagen to support further development of its Conamax(TM) platform for the production of accessible low–cost and high–quality monoclonal antibodies, benefitting developing countries and patients globally.

The high cost of monoclonal antibody (mAb) production makes blockbuster drugs expensive, limiting the markets in which these molecules can be applied and limiting access to large patient populations in developing and industrialized countries. The reason for high production costs is, in part, intrinsic to the use of mammalian cell expression systems for antibody manufacturing.

"The Conamax platform was originally conceived to address this global unmet need, so we are thrilled to have the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help develop affordable antibody therapeutics," said Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D., vice president of innovation at Conagen.

With rapid cell growth, human–compatible glycan structures, and demonstrated world–scale fermentation bioprocesses, the Conamax platform holds several advantages over Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines and other mammalian expression systems, as well as other microbial platforms.

The foundation grant funds the bench–scale development of a proof–of–concept study of a continuous purification process, customized to inputs from Conamax and potentially other microbial host organisms. With large–scale advancements, Conagen envisions that this process will be capable of continuously purifying mAbs from material generated in bioreactors with volumes greater than 250,000 liters.

As a significant advantage, the process will not require expensive binding proteins or other expensive column purification steps. This process will enable economies of scale which are not accessible to CHO or other mammalian–derived cell systems while also providing rapid, high–throughput purification of large amounts of antibody.

"Incumbent antibody manufacturing and purification processes based on Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines have brought tremendous advancements to biopharmaceuticals,” said Lippmeier. “However, CHO cell systems are comparatively low volume, expensive, and do not enable low cost and efficient purification of large amounts of antibodies."

According to McKinsey, in 2019, global sales revenue for all mAb drugs was nearly $163 billion, representing about 70% of the total sales for all biopharmaceutical products, approximately $230 billion. That is about a 50% growth in sales and proportion since 2013, when it was $75 billion.

Continued growth in sales of currently approved mAb products, along with more than 1,200 mAb product candidates currently in development "" many for multiple indications "" will continue to drive the overall sales of all biopharmaceutical products.

"We're unlocking the way to make drugs more affordable and, while doing so, opening additional markets for biologics," said Lippmeier.

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About Conagen
Conagen is a product–focused synthetic biology R&D company with large–scale manufacturing service capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high–quality, sustainable, nature–based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8511922)

Conagen Produces Two Thaumatin Protein Natural Sweeteners at Scale

Bedford, Mass., March 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Food and beverages brands get two more tools for their sugar reduction toolkits as Conagen announced the successful scale–up production of two new high–intensity sweeteners, thaumatin I and thaumatin II. The development will expand commercial partner Sweegen's robust sugar reduction solutions of zero–sugar natural sweeteners.

Thaumatin is a group of proteins found in the fruits of the tropical plant Thaumatococcus danielli. Each protein, thaumatin I and thaumatin II, varies slightly in sweetness profiles. Both proteins have been evaluated as 100,000 times sweeter than sugar on a molar basis and 3,000 times sweeter on a weight basis. The high sweetness factor can translate into a strategic cost–effective sugar reduction solution for brands seeking to get the most out of a natural sweetener.

The thaumatin proteins were developed from Conagen's peptide production platform, which had previously been used for the scaled production of another peptide sweetener, brazzein. "Conagen constantly improves its protein and peptide production platforms to generate more exciting new products,” said Casey Lippmeier, vice president of innovation at Conagen. “In this case, the platform has been leveraged to make thaumatin by several innovative approaches, but under a significantly shorter R&D timeline."

These two new, high–purity thaumatin proteins add to Sweegen's creative portfolio of sugar reduction solutions to help brands make low–calorie products. Brands can now explore the synergistic benefits of formulations that contain thaumatin and other products from Sweegen's Signature Sweetener portfolio, including brazzein and stevia. This diversity of natural, high–intensity sweeteners represents the most cost–effective approach for reducing sugar in food and beverages to deliver the best tasting match for the sweetness of sugar.

The desire for natural sweeteners will drive the demand for fruit and plant–based sweeteners, such as thaumatin and stevia, respectively. The main advantages to sweetening food and beverages with thaumatin are its familiarity and acceptance by consumers and the fact that it is approved for use in products by the majority of the countries in the world.

Health–conscious consumers are generally more accepting of natural sweeteners than sugar and artificial sweeteners. According to FMCG Gurus, Top 10 Future Trends 2030, “60% of global consumers currently believe natural sweeteners are healthier alternatives to sugar.” The trend report further stated, “Increasingly, consumers will want only products that contain real and authentic ingredients, and sweeteners will be no exception to the rule. As such, this will drive demand for sweeteners sourced directly from fruits and plants, something that the industry will respond to.”

Like most other proteins, when thaumatin proteins are consumed, they are digested into amino acids. However, because thaumatin communicates such a strong sweet taste, the levels used in most applications contribute almost no calories. It is one of the most intense sweeteners ever discovered.

Consumers increasingly expect to stock their pantries with low–to–no sugar products with food and beverages that fit into their lifestyle and diets. Thaumatin can complement a number of consumer lifestyles, such as diabetic, ketogenic, or low–to–no carbohydrate diets. These sweet proteins are low on the glycemic index.

"Thaumatin is the second announced product generated from our peptide platform, which fits well into our existing world–scale, precision fermentation infrastructure." Lippmeier further added, "Peptides and small proteins like brazzein and thaumatin can be very difficult to make economically; however, now that we have successfully scaled multiple peptides and proteins, we are willing to collaborate with other customers to make other novel peptide products."

Regulatory approval for thaumatin as natural sweeteners has passed in the European Union (E957), Israel, and Japan. In the United States, it is generally recognized as safe as a flavoring agent (FEMA GRAS 3732).

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About Conagen
Conagen is a product–focused, synthetic biology R&D company with large–scale manufacturing service capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high–quality, sustainable, nature–based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8508630)

Conagen Develops Novel High-Performing Debondable Adhesives From Natural Ingredients

Bedford, Mass., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new era for adhesives has arrived for manufacturers seeking debondable structural adhesive solutions to avoid waste and save costs in manufacturing. Today, Conagen, the biotechnology innovator, announced the development of highly sought–after debondable hot melt adhesives made by high–performance materials from sustainable and natural bio–molecules.

"Conagen has solved the challenges manufacturers face in seeking strong structural adhesives that are long–lasting, perform strongly, and have the valuable option for breaking the adhesion before final finishing operations to deliver perfect products," said J. McNamara, vice–president of chemical applications.

The advantages of high–strength debondable adhesives benefit multiple industries. For example, smartphones and electronics can be repaired effortlessly, and deconstructed at the end of their life without damaging components for recovery and recycling of valuable parts currently in land refills.

"Conagen's patented debondable hot melt adhesive are incredibly stronger than what is used in the market now and can outperform petroleum–based products with a sustainable advantage that saves time, cost and reduces waste," said McNamara.

McNamara further states, "The unexpected boost in performance comes from Conagen's fermented ingredients already at full industrial scale." And, “Conagen is open to discussing commercialization opportunities with manufacturers who are interested in a new era of performance materials."

Adhesives offer many advantages in joining materials, including the ease of use compared to welding, sealing, distributing stress, and environmental resistance. Currently, manufacturers glue two pieces together and wait for a day to cure the bond. If there are imperfections in the bond, the glued products are thrown away because they cannot be unglued, resulting in time and material waste.

Today, most reactive hot melt adhesives rely on post–curing chemistry to develop adhesive strength. A downside to this approach is the curing process is irreversible and, as such, hinders or prevents de–bonding almost entirely.

While the ingredients of Conagen's hot melt adhesives are commonly found in nature, to develop sustainable debondable adhesives, Conagen leverages its precision fermentation technology to engineer a synthetic pathway independent of plant source materials, creating more efficient and sustainable bio–based ingredients than what can be achieved with chemically–synthesized versions.

Conagen's inspiration is self–healing materials, using sustainable and natural ingredients, turning them into high–strength debondable hot melt adhesives. "The process is as simple as cutting the plastic that reheals itself in less time than the conventional way," said McNamara.

The Conagen adhesive is unique as it is a cross–linked material designed with reversibility in mind that exhibits the strength of traditionally cured adhesives with the added benefit of transitioning to a flowable material after heating.

Conagen's debondable adhesive formulation is ideal for cars, boats, planes, transportation, consumer electronics and appliances, and military and industrial applications. And Adhesives in electric vehicles (EVs) are more widespread than conventional automobiles.

The adhesives market stood at $729.11 billion in 2019 and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.3% between 2020 and 2027, making Conagen's adhesive formulation lucrative in the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) market.

Conagen's hallmark in the specialty and industrial space is discovering applications from the platform of natural bio–compounds and bio–materials for a new era of materials that are both high–performing and sustainable.

"Our adhesive formulation continues to show promise for bonding a wide array of materials, such as metal, plastic, and glass," said McNamara. "We're making it easier for companies to adopt a more natural position in manufacturing while staying true to the performance of their products."

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About Conagen

Conagen is a product–focused, synthetic biology R&D company with large–scale manufacturing service capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high–quality, sustainable, nature–based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8503412)

Conagen Successfully Develops Antioxidant Kaempferol by Precision Fermentation

Bedford, Mass., Jan. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Conagen, the Massachusetts–based biotechnology innovator, announced the successful development of antioxidant kaempferol produced by state–of–the–art, proprietary, precision fermentation. As a biotechnology company specializing in developing commercially valuable molecules for its partners and clients, Conagen's kaempferol enables brands in nutrition, beauty, and personal care products to adopt a more natural position by formulating with clean and sustainable kaempferol.

Recognized as one of nature's most potent antioxidants, kaempferol is a flavonoid with health–promoting properties found in tea, fruits, and vegetables, especially rich in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale.

Rising consumer awareness towards chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes drives the kaempferol market demand. The global kaempferol market may exceed $6.5 billion by 2025, according to a recent research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.

"We're bringing to market a pure and natural kaempferol at affordable prices that were not possible or available until now," said Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D. vice president of innovation at Conagen. "Conagen's scalable, precision fermentation for producing flavonoids like kaempferol is more efficient and sustainable than what can be achieved with the chemically–synthesized or botanically–sourced molecule.”

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds commonly found in plants and are a significant part of the human diet. They are biosynthesized by plants and fungi as secondary metabolites and comprise a diverse group of phytonutrients.

Plants protect themselves and their fruits against biological intruders such as fungi and bacteria by using phenolic phytochemicals, including flavonoids. Accordingly, kaempferol provides powerful anti–microbial, anti–inflammatory, and immune system benefits to humans.

Dietary kaempferol in multiple studies has demonstrated a wide range of promising beneficial activities, primarily as an anti–inflammatory and antioxidant, for reducing the risk of chronic diseases, especially cancer.

Prolonged oxidative stress leads to premature aging and can trigger many degenerative diseases and cancer. Kaempferol's powerful antioxidant property can help the body's defense against free radicals that promote cancer development.

Conagen derived kaempferol from its molecular platform for flavonoid antioxidants, including the previously announced molecules: DHQ, also known as Taxifolin, p–coumaric acid, hydroxytyrosol, and rosmarinic acid. The development of natural kaempferol is good news for Conagen's commercialization partner, Blue California, as kaempferol will expand its offerings of specialty ingredient solutions.

“This launch further demonstrates our talent for delivering innovative compounds which are ideal for dietary supplements and "clean–label' ingredients for functional foods, beverages, and cosmetics,” said Lippmeier. "Our vision for promoting health and wellness is to continuously leverage our precision fermentation capabilities for high–quality phenolic and flavonoid phytonutrients, thus confirming our position as a leader in the development of strains and processes for making clean–label ingredients and nutraceuticals.”

Blue California has a long–standing partnership with biotechnology innovator Conagen. Conagen focuses on developing sustainable, nature–based ingredients that improve existing options in the market or represent completely novel ingredient solutions.

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About Conagen

Conagen is a product–focused, synthetic biology R&D company with large–scale contract manufacturing capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high–quality, sustainable, nature–based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

About Blue California

Blue California is a vertically integrated technology company providing innovative ingredient solutions to global partners. With more than 20 years of innovation success, our ingredients are used in commercial products and applications in nutrition, personal care, healthy aging and wellness, functional food and beverage, and beauty. www.bluecal–ingredients.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8421580)

Conagen's Fermentation Technology To Support DARPA's ReSource Sustainability Program

Bedford, Mass., Dec. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Massachusetts–based biotech Conagen announced its participation in a collaboration supporting the ReSource program funded by a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) grant. The project aims to leverage Conagen's proprietary fermentation technology to convert plastics and other energy–dense waste into valuable, reusable materials.

“Humanity needs to make better use of plastic resources and close the recycling loop,” said Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D., vice president of innovation at Conagen. This cooperative agreement project will demonstrate the value of recycled material for building a sustainable infrastructure.”

Under the DOD, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office created the ReSource Program to research and develop an integrated self–containment system. The project explores using a combination of synthetic biology and chemical technology for turning plastic waste into critical supplies.

Professor Chris A. Voigt, Ph.D., directs the project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with Conagen and Novoloop. The Voigt lab has expertise in microbial genetic design and engineering and has created tools and platform technologies central to the effort.

Conagen was selected as the fermentation scale–up partner for its synthetic biology expertise, purification process development capability, and world–scale manufacturing.

“While conventional fermentation has been used for centuries to make foods and beverages, precision fermentation has become the core resource for commercializing natural and sustainable synthetic biology products,” said Lippmeier.

Novoloop uses chemical technologies to decompose plastic waste into chemical building blocks, enabling the downstream fermentation to make bio–products.

“Recycling plastic waste is just the beginning,” says Lippmeier. “This DARPA–funded project primarily seeks to improve the efficient use of resources by our troops. However, the technology for converting plastics and bio–plastics into other higher–value materials should create incentives to remove these pollutants from the environment and support humanitarian efforts with renewable sources of food, nutrition, and water.”

Now that Phase I is complete, the MIT team, including Conagen, advance to Phase II when they
hope to achieve purifying, scaling, and upcycling waste into valuable products.

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About Voigt Lab, MIT
Voigt Lab is focused on the development of a programming language for cells. A genetic program consists of a combination of genetic circuits, each of which uses biochemistry to replicate a function analogous to an electronic circuit (e.g., a logic gate) and applying these tools to problems in biotechnology http://web.mit.edu/voigtlab/.

About Conagen

Conagen is a product–focused synthetic biology R&D company with large–scale manufacturing capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high–quality, sustainable, nature–based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

About Novoloop
Novoloop was founded in 2015 to deliver next–generation materials made from plastic waste via its patented low–carbon upcycling technology ATOD. Through its proprietary dicarboxylic acid platform, hard–to–recycle plastic waste is transformed into virgin quality materials with superior sustainability at competitive pricing. With its first product, Oistre, Novoloop provides sustainable and customizable thermoplastic polyurethane solutions for the footwear, sporting goods, and automotive sectors.

Distribution Statement “A”
Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited. If you have any questions about DARPA, please contact the Public Release Center.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8407986)

Olives and Wine: Conagen Makes Accessible Antioxidant Hydroxytyrosol by Fermentation

Bedford, Mass., Sept. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leveraging its robust phenolics platform, Conagen announced the expansion of the health ingredient portfolio of its commercial partner Blue California, with the successful scale–up and commercialization of the powerful natural antioxidant ingredient hydroxytyrosol.

With its health–promoting properties, hydroxytyrosol is a phenylethanoid found in olives and wine. Most hydroxytyrosol is naturally found in the juice of olives, minorly in oil. Current hydroxytyrosol ingredients on the market are produced mainly through processed olive juice or are synthetic.

Conagen's high–purity hydroxytyrosol is virtually colorless and odorless, making it ideal for formulating different products. The hydroxytyrosol is produced by using a cost–effective, sustainable natural fermentation process that has led to the filing of several patent applications, making it a preferred option compared to its olive juice concentrate and synthetic counterparts.

"Hydroxytyrosol is derived from one of our four small–molecule platforms. The flexibility of our phenolics platform has enabled us to rapidly scale and commercialize hydroxytyrosol and other novel ingredients, highlighting our productive innovation engine and reliability as a strategic service partner," said Vice President of Innovation, Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D. at Conagen.

Hydroxytyrosol has received increasing attention in the dietary supplement world due to its potent antioxidant and anti–inflammatory properties that contribute to the many health benefits of consuming olives. Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate the positive effects of hydroxytyrosol on heart health and support healthy cholesterol levels.

"The Mediterranean diet is consistently rated as one of the healthiest diets, partially attributed to the use of olives," Blue California's Research, Science and Innovation Officer, Linda May–Zhang, Ph.D. "Hydroxytyrosol is one of the most potent antioxidants in olives, and research suggests the great promise of this molecule in healthy aging and potential immune support applications."

In addition to immune health, emerging research suggests hydroxytyrosol supports heart health, metabolic health, bone health, brain health, and beauty.

Immune health will remain a top priority for consumers as 64% of global consumers are looking to improve their immunity over the next 12 months, reported by FMCG Gurus, Top Ten Trends for 2021, Dec. 2020.

"Conagen is unlocking unprecedented access to sustainable compounds which are only sparingly found in nature," said Lippmeier. "We expect this and other related compounds will prove useful as cost–effective food or cosmetic ingredients or as additives to other products in which oxidation must be mitigated."

Using precision fermentation, Conagen produces an extensive portfolio of ingredients, with a recent focus on phenolic antioxidants and natural preservatives such as Rosmarinic acid (Rosavel ), Capsaicin, and the recently announced p–Coumaric Acid (PCA). These ingredients add to a long list of health–promoting flavonoids such as Dihydroquercetin (DHQ), also known as Taxifolin.

Blue California is a provider of solutions and manufacturer/distributor of specialty ingredients, flavors, and fragrances and has a long–standing innovation partnership with Conagen. Conagen focuses on developing sustainable, nature–based ingredients that improve existing options in the market or represent completely novel ingredient solutions.

About Conagen

Conagen is a product–focused synthetic biology R&D company with large–scale manufacturing capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high–quality, sustainable, nature–based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

About Blue California

Blue California is a vertically integrated technology company providing innovative ingredient solutions to global partners. With more than 20 years of innovation success, our ingredients are used in commercial products and applications in nutrition, personal care, healthy aging and wellness, functional food and beverage, and beauty. www.bluecal–ingredients.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8323999)

Conagen Expands Natural Preservation by Fermentation

Bedford, Mass., Aug. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the “clean label” trend thrives in many consumer product categories, Massachusetts–based biotech Conagen announced the launch of a natural preservative, p–Coumaric Acid (PCA). Conagen's PCA is made by fermentation and expands the natural preservatives offered by its commercialization partner Blue California.

The natural preservation market is driven by consumer exploration of clean–label food, beverage, personal care, and cosmetic product which do not contain artificial ingredients while still possessing extended shelf life.

In a published Mintel report Feb. 2021, U.S. Consumers were polled on relating 'naturalness' with 'health, “43% of U.S. consumers have the perception that “all–natural” is an important factor when choosing healthy food and beverages.”

Food and beverage manufacturers are moving away from artificial ingredients in their processing and packaging methods. Therefore, new sources of natural preservatives, such as Conagen's natural, fermentation–derived PCA, are ideal for brands to make a seamless change from synthetic preservation ingredients to natural ones.

“Our PCA expands the toolbox for product developers looking for a scalable, low cost–in–use, natural solution for increasing the shelf life of food without interfering with the flavor of their products,” said Conagen's Vice President of Innovation, Dr. Casey Lippmeier.

PCA is a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial compound found in all plants, primarily peanuts, tomatoes, carrots, basil, and garlic. It is a key constituent of wine, vinegar, and honey.

Conagen produces PCA by an innovative precision fermentation process. This technology enables the cultivation of micro–organisms programmed to create sustainable, natural ingredients with high purity at a price competitive with synthetic PCA. PCA by fermentation is ideal for industrial applications as well.

“A sustainable source of PCA is also desirable as a precursor for different biopolymers and other high–tech biomaterials made with 'green chemistry,”' said Lippmeier.

Green chemicals are a part of the global discussion on climate change and large chemical companies' accelerating adoption of sustainable materials. “The novel polymers and co–polymers which can be made by fermentation–derived PCA enable the development of environmentally safer bioplastics and new applications in biomedicine,” said Lippmeier.

As an alternative to chemically synthesized compounds like bisphenol–A, PCA is a multifunctional natural and sustainable solution found in food to enable new and novel products by formulators and material scientists.

In the industrial applications space, PCA is ideal in coatings, composites, adhesives, and polymers for biomedical, transportation, aerospace, electronics, and packaging, just to name a few.

Last year, Blue California and Conagen jointly announced the commercialization of a 98% pure natural preservative, Rosavel rosmarinic acid, without the intensity of rosemary flavor and color as with most synthetic ingredients. Another important natural preservative molecule derived from Conagen's platform technologies is BC–DHQTM taxifolin, which secured GRAS status as announced last May.

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About Conagen

Conagen is making the impossible possible. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high–quality sustainable nature–based products through systems of manufacturing on a molecular level and fermentation basis. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

About Blue California

Blue California is a vertically integrated technology company providing innovative ingredient solutions to global partners. With more than 20 years of innovation success, our ingredients are used in commercial products and applications in the industries of nutrition, personal care, healthy aging and wellness, functional food and beverage, and beauty. www.bluecal–ingredients.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8314108)

Conagen’s Novel Solution to Making Natural Capsaicin by Fermentation Accessible

Bedford, Mass., April 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Scalable, sustainable capsaicin ingredients for its use in food, consumer and industrial products have now become more accessible. Conagen announced it has successfully scaled–up its fermentation process for the production of premium capsaicin and its related capsaicinoid molecules.

Chili peppers are widely used as a food additive in spicy and hot cuisines, due to its hot and pungent characteristics. Consumers globally are demanding more clean, natural and exciting flavors, especially hot and spicy flavors.

Yet, the challenge in meeting this demand is that capsaicin from chili peppers is difficult to use because of its hot properties, proposing challenges to manufacturers. Capsaicin extraction is limited by the availability of chili peppers, which is subject to fluctuations in price and quality.

The market for capsaicin is growing because of its pungent characteristic, which is very versatile in a broad spectrum of applications, including food, cosmetic, personal care, pharmaceutical and medical. In industrial applications, such as anti–fouling paint for boats and ships, capsaicin has the potential to replace heavy metals.

"The successful scale–up of our fermentation process for capsaicinoids is a good example of Conagen's innovative advancements in gene discovery, strain engineering and process development and optimization," said Dr. Casey Lippmeier, vice president of innovation at Conagen. "The complimentary addition of capsaicinoids to our product portfolio enhances our motivation to meet consumers' demand for sustainable, nature–based, and clean ingredients."

Two major capsaicinoids, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin are responsible for roughly up to 90% of the pungency in chili pepper.

Yet, another capsaicinoid, nonivamide, also known as Pelargonic Acid Vanillylamide, (PAVA) is found in small, trace amounts in hot peppers. It is an alternative to capsaicin for its hot sensation and spicy flavoring. Nonivamide is typically used in topical muscle pain relievers and synthetic pepper spray, respectfully.

Due to the extremely low content of nonivamide in hot peppers, and the large demand, current plant extraction methods are not commercially viable. Thus, nonivamide has exclusively been made by chemical synthesis. Although chemically synthesized nonivamide is readily available, consumers are adopting clean and natural products.

Providing a solution to global capsaicin shortages, Conagen has identified several key genes in the capsaicin biosynthetic pathway in hot peppers and has demonstrated proof–of–concepts for the production of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nonivamide. Several patents have been granted to Conagen for microbial production of capsaicinoids.

As a result of the demand for a natural, low cost–in–use solution, Conagen has successfully optimized and scaled–up its fermentation process for the production of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nonivamide.

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About Conagen

Conagen is making the impossible possible. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop sustainable, nature–based molecules bio–manufactured into the highest quality products available. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. For more information, visit www.conagen.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8222109)

Conagen Begins Scale Up of Natural Sustainable Musk Macrocyclic Lactone Fragrance Materials

Bedford, Mass., Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Conagen announced today its breakthrough development in the commercial production of natural and sustainable macrocyclic musk lactones from natural substrates using its proprietary technology, further expanding its already extensive gamma–lactone portfolio.

Musk fragrance compounds are typically used as base note ingredients in perfumes. The natural sources of these compounds are found in glandular secretions of animals, such as musk deer and some plants. In low concentrations, musks are expansive, velvety, sensual and sweet. However, the fragrance industry overall has moved away from animal sources, and plant sources are scarce. Currently, chemically synthesized substitutes with similar scents are available for use.

Conagen successfully bridged its gamma–lactone production technology with its lipid platform to expand its lactone portfolio to natural musk scent macrocyclic lactones.

Built upon the diversity of structures among natural lipids, Conagen's macrocyclic musk portfolio contains diverse compounds representing a range of familiar and novel aromas, many of which have never before been commercially available. This variety of characteristics creates a wider spectrum of fragrance application options for manufacturers that use musk macrocyclic lactones in their products.

“The expansion of Conagen's lactone platform to macrocyclic lactones with musk fragrances adds to our momentum in meeting consumers' demand for nature–based, clean ingredients,” said Dr. Casey Lippmeier, VP of innovation at Conagen.

“We have found new ways to make various classes of natural lactones. I am excited by the new prospects our musk lactones bring as they have grown rapidly from a proof–of–concept technology to commercial production. Expect many more innovative, natural lactones coming from our technology,” said Dr. Lippmeier.

For the last 10 years, Conagen has successfully developed one of the largest portfolios of ingredient products for its customers, including science–based Blue California ingredients.

"The technology breakthrough is impressive on its own, but equally so is the speed at which Conagen was able to take musk from idea to scaleup "" five short months. That's the partner you want to have in these competitive markets," said Kathy Oglesby, head of flavor and fragrance at Blue California.

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About Conagen

Conagen is making the impossible possible. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop sustainable, nature–based molecules bio–manufactured into the highest quality products available. We focus on the bioproduction of high–value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. For more information, visit www.conagen.com

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8123553)