The partners will work to optimize AQUA
Cultured Foods' fermentation technology and advance the development
and production of AQUA's 100% fish-free products that emulate the
look, feel, and taste of fresh-caught seafood
CHICAGO and BOSTON, March 27,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AQUA Cultured Foods, a food tech
company producing alternative seafood options through the use of
microbial fermentation, and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is
building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity,
today announced a new partnership. AQUA has chosen Ginkgo to help
optimize its innovative fermentation technology to elevate the
quality of its fish-free seafood products that authentically
replicate the look, feel, and taste of fresh-caught seafood.
Leveraging Ginkgo's microbial characterization and analytics, along
with AQUA's proprietary strains and processes, the partners aim to
transform the future of alt-seafood production.
AQUA is a leader in the alternative seafood industry, delivering
products with the texture, taste, and appearance of fresh-caught
seafood filets, without using any fish or animal inputs. Their
debut offerings, tuna, and scallops, maintain freshness and
tenderness for six weeks. Powered by a patent-pending fermentation
process, which can be scaled on a global level, AQUA's fish-free
seafood is made from microbes and fibers combined with
plant-derived flavors that replicate the buttery texture and umami
notes found in fresh-caught seafood. Unlike traditional seafood,
AQUA's products contain no contaminants, antibiotics, allergens,
cholesterol or saturated fats, and can be consumed and enjoyed by
those with diverse dietary needs, including pregnant people and
those with shellfish allergies.
The AQUA team uses a consortium of microbes that work
synergistically to make its appetizing and affordable products.
Ginkgo will leverage its high throughput next-generation sequencing
and advanced analytics services to help optimize and tune AQUA's
strains to aid in the scale-up of their novel manufacturing
process. With Ginkgo, AQUA hopes to amplify its R&D
capabilities and further optimize its consortium to establish
consistent, high-quality products. Through this, AQUA envisions a
future where its proprietary microbe consortium can be used to
produce not just whole-cut and ground alt-seafood products, but
also introduce unique flavors and textures to the broader food
industry. This inaugural partnership paves the way for future
projects leveraging Ginkgo's strain engineering capabilities as
well.
AQUA's fermentation process provides an alternative to fishing
and fish farming. Research shows that there are serious health
risks associated with eating both wild-caught seafood from the
ocean and farmed fish. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
states that contaminated fish are a persistent source of toxic
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury in the human diet.
Eating farmed fish comes with the added risk of consuming
antibiotics and pesticides. Both the fishing and fish farming
industries cause detrimental environmental damage. Wild fisheries
have been depleted worldwide, causing scientists to fear their
impending collapse. Industrial fishing practices, such as bottom
trawling and long-lining, affect endangered animals such as sea
turtles, dolphins, and whales. Untreated waste from farmed fish —
including excess feed, decomposing fish, excrement, and chemical
residue — can pollute waterways and create toxic algal blooms that
kill wild aquatic life. AQUA is confident that its products deliver
the experience of eating seafood without the health or
environmental risks associated with traditional seafood.
Stefan Baier, PhD, Chief
Science Officer of AQUA Cultured Foods: "Today marks a
significant step towards revolutionizing alternative seafood
production. AQUA's commitment to sustainable seafood aligns with
Ginkgo's dedication to innovation. Our partnership aims to
accelerate our technology, bringing our delicious products to
market faster. With Ginkgo's expertise in working with microbes, we
are confident in optimizing and applying our technology to create
the most delicious seafood products possible. Beyond sequencing, we
envision engineering our proprietary consortium for next-gen
products, pushing alt-seafood boundaries with unique textures and
building the nutrition beyond a good source of fiber. We look
forward to how our sustainable approach can revolutionize the
fishing industry and contribute to the regeneration of our
oceans."
Mervyn de Souza, Senior
Director, Business Development at Ginkgo Bioworks: "We
couldn't be happier to partner with AQUA and get to work with their
cutting-edge technology. This collaboration aligns beautifully with
our commitment to work on projects that embody innovation and
sustainability. AQUA's groundbreaking fermentation technology is
reshaping the future of alt-seafood, and we at Ginkgo are thrilled
to contribute to this transformative journey. Together, we're
paving the way for a more sustainable and responsible approach to
meeting the world's growing food demands."
AQUA will also be at Ginkgo's annual Ferment conference this
year on April 11th. Baier will be
presenting at the conference, and AQUA products will be available
for conference attendees to taste.
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading horizontal platform for cell
programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve
challenges for organizations across diverse markets, from food and
agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty
chemicals. Ginkgo's biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric
by Ginkgo, is building global infrastructure for biosecurity to
empower governments, communities, and public health leaders to
prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological
threats. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com
and concentricbyginkgo.com, read our blog, or follow us
on social media channels such as X (@Ginkgo and @ConcentricByGBW),
Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks), Threads (@GinkgoBioworks)
or LinkedIn.
About AQUA Cultured Foods
Aqua Cultured Foods is an innovative food technology startup
developing the world's first whole-cut seafood alternatives through
microbial fermentation. Its novel technology produces sustainable,
fish-free tuna, scallops and more using only a fraction of the
resources required by traditional aquaculture. With a focus on
product commercialization, AQUA occupies a unique position in the
burgeoning alt-protein market as well as within the fermentation
industry. The company's mission is to mitigate global challenges
such as overfishing, climate change and feeding the world's
expanding population with delicious, nutrient-rich foods. For more
information visit https://www.aquaculturedfoods.com.
Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including
statements regarding the capabilities and potential success of the
partnership and Ginkgo's cell programming platform. These
forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words
"believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate,"
"estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan,"
"may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will
likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements
are predictions, projections and other statements about future
events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and,
as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors
could cause actual future events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not
limited to: (i) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities due
to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and
highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to
operate, variations in performance across competitors, and changes
in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business, (ii) the
ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other
expectations, and to identify and realize additional business
opportunities, (iii) the risk of downturns in demand for products
using synthetic biology, (iv) the uncertainty regarding the demand
for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (v)
changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements
in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry
demands, standards and regulations, (vi) the outcome of any pending
or potential legal proceedings against Ginkgo, (vii) our ability to
realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry
platform programs, (viii) our ability to successfully develop
engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other
deliverables, and (ix) the product development or commercialization
success of our customers. The foregoing list of factors is not
exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and
the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors"
section of Ginkgo's annual report on Form 10-K filed with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on
February 29, 2024 and other documents
filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings
identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual events and results to differ materially from
those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are
cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements,
and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or
revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any
assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR
CONTACT:
investors@ginkgobioworks.com
GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA
CONTACT:
press@ginkgobioworks.com
AQUA CULTURED FOODS
CONTACT:
press@aquaculturedfoods.com
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