Ginkgo Bioworks, a synthetic biology company developing a platform for cell programming and biosecurity, announced a $29 million contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H. The project, awarded in partnership with Tritica Biosciences, US Pharmacopeia, On Demand Pharmaceuticals and Isolere Bio by Donaldson, aims to create new methods for producing critical pharmaceutical ingredients more flexibly and sustainably.
According to a news release, the two-year effort, called WHEAT, will explore using wheat germ to enable distributed manufacturing of biologic and small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Under the ARPA-H contract, Ginkgo will apply its enzyme engineering capabilities and expertise in cell-free manufacturing, working alongside its partners in upstream extract preparation, downstream processing, quality control and modular, on-demand production. Together, the team is working to develop affordable and scalable manufacturing processes that can help stabilize pharmaceutical supply chains and reduce reliance on centralized production facilities.
“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. From small molecule compounds to biologics, we believe this project can sow the seeds of medical innovation, growing a new manufacturing paradigm for essential medicines using affordable cell-free biological processes, to reshore and stabilize these critical, life-saving supply chains,” Ginkgo Bioworks’ Jesse Dill said in a statement.
