‍Growing Coalition Focuses on Industry Targets and Key Legislation to Bolster Innovation, Job Creation, Greater Security, and the New Green Economy

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Synthetic Biology Coalition announced the addition of eight new members representing leading companies and universities across the country. The new members include Checkerspot, Geltor, SaponiQx, Swiftscale Biologics, Solugen, Northeastern University, Northwestern University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“Synthetic biology is poised to serve as a major accelerant of American economic growth in the 21st century, and we are pleased to join the Synthetic Biology Coalition to support those efforts every step of the way,” said Dr. Gaurab Chakrabarti, CEO of Solugen. “The SynBio Coalition will continue to work with the federal government to build an environment where advanced biomanufacturing industry can thrive in the United States, creating more jobs, reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains, and unlocking the next generation of economic growth.”

Launched in April 2021, the SynBio Coalition is a nationwide coalition committed to working with the federal government and industry to grow the U.S. bioeconomy and drive technological innovation to support economic development and a more sustainable economy. This includes building domestic manufacturing capacity and infrastructure across the country. To accomplish this objective, the SynBio Coalition is presently focused on two core goals:

● Identifying synthetic biology as a key technology that can provide effective and innovative solutions for certain federal agencies; and

● Increasing visibility for synthetic biology among the Administration and Congress, ranging from the dynamic benefits of new technology to the economic growth potential for the U.S.

The SynBio Coalition is supporting multiple pieces of current congressional legislation that will support the expansion of synthetic biology, including:

● The Bipartisan Innovation Act (S.1260) (also known as USICA and America COMPETES) to provide funding for synthetic biology research and development; and  

● The PREVENT Pandemics Act (S.3799) to include supply chain and platform technology support.

Synthetic biology is a dynamic field that is unlocking the power of nature to produce novel products with sustainable design across industries as varied as pharmaceuticals and medical treatments, food and agriculture, plastics, apparel, energy, consumer electronics, and personal and home care.

About the SynBio Coalition New Members:

● Checkerspot (Alameda, CA & Salt Lake City, UT) designs performance materials and ingredients at a molecular level. Checkerspot’s vertically integrated WING™ Platform optimizes microalgae to biomanufacture unique oils that are turned into new materials that demonstrate improved performance properties in targeted hardgoods, textiles, personal care, and food applications and products. Checkerspot's first commercialized materials are next generation polyurethanes and textile finishes designed to improve the performance of consumer products. The company is currently commercializing performance composites engineered into skis and sold through its brand WNDR® Alpine, as well as algal oil formulated into miDori® BioWick and sold in partnership with Beyond Surface Technologies. Checkerspot's mission is to expand the palette of molecular building blocks for high performance and sustainable materials for better products. For more information, visit https://checkerspot.com/

● Geltor (San Leandro, CA) is the company igniting what’s possible through biodesign, with the most advanced protein ingredients for beauty and personal care, food and nutrition, and beyond. Through its ingredient technologies, Geltor offers best-in-class innovation and otherwise impossible-to-source bioactives that are uniquely able to respond to changing customer needs sustainably, with unprecedented speed and precision. Geltor and its growing portfolio of biodesigned hero ingredients have been recognized for their excellence and innovation by industry leaders including CEW, Personal Care Products Council, Society of Cosmetic Chemists, and ICMAD Indie Beauty Innovators Awards. For more information, visit www.geltor.com

● SaponiQx (Lexington, MA) plans to be a global, integrated immune-education medicine company which is planning to develop safe and effective immunomodulators to protect the world's population from health threats. Its pipeline is led by the best-in-class QS21 Stimulon™ adjuvant already used in GSK's Shingrix™ vaccine and is expected to include a wide-ranging portfolio of saponin-based adjuvants and vaccines, including AutoSynVax™, PhosphoSynVax™, and Prophage™. For more information, visit https://saponiqx.com/

● Swiftscale Biologics (San Francisco, CA) provides cell-free protein synthesis for fast expression, high-throughput synthesis, and complex protein production. Swiftscale Biologics uses an innovative development and manufacturing platform that can significantly accelerate the normal timelines for translation of biologics. We rapidly transform scientific discoveries into protein products ready for human clinical trials.

● Solugen (Houston, TX) was founded in 2016 by Gaurab Chakrabarti, M.D., Ph.D., and Sean Hunt, Ph.D., Solugen is a specialty chemicals manufacturer and world’s first and only producer of bio-based chemical peroxide solutions that applies green chemistry principles to re-design the production of a variety of ingredients. Solugen's mission is to help the fight against climate change by creating cleaner, greener, and safer chemical processes that reduce reliance on non-renewable resources and energy-intensive manufacturing, without sacrificing safety and efficacy. For more information, visit https://www.solugen.com/

● Northeastern University (Boston, MA) is home to a dynamic collection of labs focused on collaborations with academic researchers and various synthetic biology industries.  Supported by several faculty working in this space, Northeastern University is leading innovative analysis and production in numerous fields of synthetic biology to support health care, therapeutics, plant-derived pharmaceuticals and cell engineering.

● Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) is home to the Center for Synthetic Biology, a research lab that draws from the tools and concepts of physics, engineering, and computer science to explore four unique themes: cell-free systems, mammalian systems, enabling technologies, and ethics and societal impact. For more information, visit https://syntheticbiology.northwestern.edu/

● Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN) is a U.S. multiprogram science and technology national laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Synthetic Biology Group develops and applies principles and techniques for biosystems design in non-model organisms, biofuels crops, and associated biosystems to solve renewable energy and environmental challenges. The group focuses on engineering plants, bacteria, and fungi for a variety of applications. For more information, visit https://www.ornl.gov/group/synthetic-biology

The SynBio Coalition was founded in April 2021 by three of America’s leading synthetic biology companies who make up the steering committee:

● Antheia (Menlo Park, CA) is unlocking the medicinal power of nature. Its synthetic biology platform surpasses the limits of conventional drug discovery and manufacturing through a novel approach to whole-cell engineering — reconstructing complex molecules in yeast to bring to market next-generation plant-inspired medicines. Antheia’s team of scientists and technologists is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. For more information, visit www.antheia.bio

● Genomatica (San Diego, CA) is remaking everyday products and materials with more sustainable, high-performance ingredients, made from renewable sources like plants rather than fossil fuels. Genomatica's first commercial products and partnerships with leading industrial firms and brands are already having high impact in plastics and cosmetics, with more coming in apparel, homecare, auto parts and more. Genomatica's Innovation Center is in San Diego, California. For more information, visit www.genomatica.com

● Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA) is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com

https://www.synbioco.com/pressreleases/synbio-coalition-announces-eight-new-members-representing-leading-biotechnology-companies-universities

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