The Company Announces Expansion of its Terpene PlatformBEDFORD, Mass. – Conagen, a synthetic biology company located in the greater-Boston biotech corridor announced today the expansion of its terpene platform consisting of molecules not previously available for flavor and fragrance applications. These terpenes are found in threatened and non-sustainable plant sources, and are thus too costly to be commercially viable.Natural fragrance compounds are widely used in food, cosmetics, fine perfumes, and pharmaceutical applications. Conagen’s portfolio of scarce and exotic terpenes enables manufacturers to create new or reformulated products without further threatening plant diversity. Sustainable production and clean labels enabled by bio-manufacturing will better allow brands to meet consumer trends of plant-based products.“We are excited to be able to address new markets and applications for these previously inaccessible flavor and fragrance ingredients in a natural and environmentally responsible manner and to expand our portfolio of taste and aroma profiles available to the food and beverage industry,” says Oliver Yu, CEO of Conagen.Conagen is prepared to produce these compounds at large-scale. The vertical integration of its lab operations and world-scale facilities promotes rapid commercialization, from microliters to metric tons, in any of its manufacturing plants located around the world. This is in part due to the company’s ability to direct manufacturing at all points of the development process.The terpene platform was developed by Conagen scientists employing a proprietary host for production of isoprenoids using its long-established bioinformatic and synthetic biology expertise.The company attributes its terpene success in part to its expertise and history in plant biology. Conagen was conceived by Oliver Yu. His research led to his development of valuable and interesting molecules, initially derived from botanical extracts, but later using more sustainable and efficient methods in synthetic biology, fermentation, and bioconversion.The company put its vertical integration business model to the test last month when it developed proprietary technology to create more than 20 different lactones, including γ-Decalactone---making it the largest clean and non-GMO lactone portfolio in the industry. Found in many ripe fruits and particularly peaches, γ-Decalactone is a versatile compound used commercially in formulations with distinctive fruit flavors of peach, apricot and strawberry.Vertical integration is just one aspect of the company setting itself apart from its competitors. The company also states that it uses a philosophy of “starting with the end in mind,” recognizing that there isn’t one standard set of organisms which will be best for every job. The science team has therefore developed a diverse stable of host microorganisms for selecting the best solution to enable partners to bring high-quality products to market.More about Conagen: Making Impossible Possible®Conagen is an accomplished biotechnology company located in the greater Boston-based biotech corridor. We innovate and develop synthetic biology solutions to support our global partners across a spectrum of current and developing markets. From our proprietary strain development to fermentation and scale-up, Conagen impacts partners’ abilities to sell and market products in the food, nutrition, flavor and fragrance, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. Our bio-manufacturing capabilities, coupled with our extensive enzymatic platforms gives us the edge in commercial biotechnology to design organisms for the science possible. For more information, visit the official company website at www.conagen.com