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The initiative pivots away from traditional cell-based biomanufacturing towards Cell-Free Protein Synthesis (CFPS), using extracts from wheat germ. The germ is an abundant and renewable agricultural resource often considered a byproduct. Ginkgo’s strategy aims to bypass the complexities and time constraints associated with maintaining live cell cultures. The end-result could be faster development and production cycles.
Ginkgo will apply its experience in enzyme engineering, synthetic biology, and machine learning to optimize the wheat germ CFPS system for high-efficiency production of target APIs, tackling challenges in both biocatalysis for small molecules and post-translational modifications (PTMs) needed for many biologics.
Ginkgo views this project as an opportunity to merge technologies from seemingly disparate fields, agriculture and advanced biomanufacturing, to address pressing national health security needs. In a press release, Jesse Dill, Senior Director of Business Development at Ginkgo Bioworks, emphasized the potential synergy:
We are thrilled for the opportunity to work on this exciting project with ARPA-H and our teammates to allow Americans to reap the benefits when we bring together innovations in farm and pharma.
If successful, this ARPA-H-funded initiative will not only deliver a novel manufacturing technology but also strengthen the nation’s ability to produce medicines domestically, when and where they are needed most.
