Decarbonizing our economies in the race to fight climate change calls for a wholesale overhaul of all production processes to make them as sustainable as possible. Greening chemicals, used as ingredients in all sorts of products, is where Britain started. Deep Blue Biotech Investing 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 produce chemicals in a more environmentally friendly way than traditional production methods, such as refining fossil fuels. .
The startup also claims that its method can achieve cost parity with conventional chemical production because the genetically engineered microorganisms it is using to produce the chemical only need to be fed with relatively cheap ingredients. Is: light, water and CO2.
This, he says, is compatible with precision fermentation, another microbe-based production method that also requires more expensive feedstock (such as sugar).
Cyanobacteria
Deep Blue Biotech is working with strains of cyanobacteria – also known as blue-green algae (but note that these single-celled microorganisms are actually Procuratesinstead of algae)—using genetic engineering and computational modeling to transform bacteria—sometimes colloquially known 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 emits more CO2 than cyanobacteria use the greenhouse gas during photosynthesis.
It also claims that its bioengineering approach means it can produce more efficient chemicals. It seeks to improve upon the industry’s previous efforts to develop more sustainable (chemical) ingredients that often resulted in less effective products, leading to a tougher sell to consumers.
These are “green chemicals” that will deliver both sustainability and efficiency, is Deep Blue Biotech’s pitch.
“The first generation of green chemicals, unfortunately, they just sucked,” co-founder Manuel Rios, former VP of sustainable design at Unilever, tells TechCrunch. “They were just more expensive and less effective, and we need to counter the impact that’s had over the last 10 years.”
“What we’re starting to see with synthetic biology, in general, is because of how we create and design molecules, you can actually go and aim for functionality—which we were not able to do in the past”. tells us.
“So we create a new generation of sustainable materials, a new generation of green chemicals, which are environmentally conscious – but fundamentally they are high in functionality. That’s what we want to create.”
Cost effective components
The cost of producing the chemical can be another important selling point, depending on the industry vertical it’s targeting, per Rios. The startup is using computational modeling to determine which chemicals are cost-effective to target for new production methods.
“We have chosen chemicals that are north of $2,000-$3,000 per kg, which allows us to make healthy margins while also providing a discount compared to existing technology,” he suggests.
Deep Blue Biotech is starting with a sales pitch aimed at beauty and cosmetics companies. Rios says the textile industry will likely follow suit – where it will push apparel manufacturers to produce eco-friendly fabric dyes.
The first substance it is developing is hyaluronic acid, an ingredient in various skin care products and cosmetic treatments that may also have medical uses.
“We’re not going to save the world with cosmetics but … what we’re trying to do with this industry specifically is we believe [it] has the ability to change perceptions,” he says: “We believe a partner like the beauty industry – with high levels of engagement – will allow us [to be] more effective.”
Cosmetics also offer a faster route to market than some other applications it could have focused on.
Rios noted that the team had originally considered developing biofuels — but decided it would take too long to translate from the lab to the market. And he emphasized that he wants to make a positive impact as soon as possible.
While there has previously been interest in photosynthetic biomanufacturing — including producing biofuels — Reeves says commercialization has been held back by low production rates. The startup believes it has made a breakthrough thanks to the use of a relatively recently discovered high-productivity strain of cyanobacteria.
“The main advantage of this strain is that it is three times faster. [growing] than any other strain of cyanobacteria that has been discovered so far and has a productivity seven times higher. So that kind of breaks the barrier in terms of commercialization,” he suggests.
Preseed
It’s still early days for the Deep Blue biotech, which is announcing an $800,000 pre-seed round to continue building toward a commercial MVP — a “small-scale demonstrator” of production in this context.
The round was led by Sustainable Ventures, with participation from One Planet Capital, PCSI, and SFC Capital. It included two. Innovation UK Grants
The funding will be used to launch their first paid pilots to enter into co-development agreements with customers to incorporate Deep Blue Biotech’s hyaluronic acid into their own products. (Rives notes that he has several letters of intent signed with cosmetics firms that he hopes will be future customers, including his former employer.)
Additionally, they will use the capital to find their second ingredient (perhaps the aforementioned textile dye).
Part of the funding will also be spent on filing a patent application, according to Rios, who confirms that he plans to take steps to ensure his approach is viable. There is defense. Expanding the team to build in-house expertise in bioprocess engineering is also important, he says.
“We’re in the experimental phase because we’re scaling up and doing genetic engineering in parallel,” he tells us.
“Every vertical [we target] “There will be a different commercial strategy,” he adds. gives a very clear competitive advantage.”
He also suggests that “modular” production processes are another key component that can support rapid scaling. Photobioreactors are used to create the right environment for the cultivation of cyanobacteria. Unlike the stainless steel vats typical of precision fermentation systems, these machines have transparent tubes to allow light in, so light-sensitive microorganisms can feed and grow.
Reeves says the capacity can easily be increased by adding more tubes. “The way the system is interconnected is in batches,” he says, noting: “We’re working with [partners] which has this potential.”
In terms of competitors, he name-checks French biotech. Microphytewhich has been working with microalgae for many years, and has signed a strategic partnership with cosmetics giant L’Oréal. Back in 2022as “interesting”. But he suggests they have a “slightly different” focus.
Another company he mentions working specifically with cyanobacteria – and using the same strain – is based in Australia. Bondi Bio.
“One of our advantages is, I know what the right buttons were to push in the industry,” Rios added on his positioning in the market. “So we designed a specific hyaluronic acid … that we knew. [would] There is very fast traction in the market, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid with a specific property [of high skin penetration]”
Credit : techcrunch.com
