Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks Collaborate to Develop and Produce Animal-Free Non-Whey Dairy Proteins

Rhea-AI Summary

Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) announce a partnership to produce non-whey dairy proteins for the food industry. The collaboration aims to leverage Ginkgo's Protein Expression Services and Imagindairy's expertise to develop sustainable animal-free dairy proteins funded by a joint grant from the Israel-U.S. BIRD Foundation.

Food Technology Expert

The partnership between Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks represents a significant stride in the food technology sector, particularly in the development of alternative dairy products. The focus on producing animal-free, non-whey dairy proteins aligns with a growing consumer demand for sustainable and ethical food choices. The use of precision fermentation and AI to optimize the production process can potentially revolutionize the industry by improving cost-efficiency and scalability, which are common challenges in the alternative protein market.

The collaboration is noteworthy for its potential to accelerate the commercial availability of these proteins. As Imagindairy leverages its proprietary AI platform and Ginkgo employs its high-throughput capabilities, there's a clear synergy aimed at enhancing the functionality and economic viability of the resulting products. This could lead to a broader adoption of alternative dairy proteins by food producers, possibly impacting the traditional dairy market.

Sustainability Analyst

From a sustainability perspective, the joint effort by Imagindairy and Ginkgo to produce non-whey dairy proteins without the use of animals is a positive development. The dairy industry is often criticized for its environmental footprint, including greenhouse gas emissions and water usage. By utilizing microorganisms for protein production, this partnership could contribute to a reduction in the environmental impact associated with dairy farming.

Moreover, the backing by the BIRD Foundation underscores the project's potential benefits not only to the food industry but also to environmental conservation efforts. If successful, this initiative could serve as a model for other companies seeking to balance profitability with ecological responsibility, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable food system.

Market Analyst

For investors and stakeholders in the food industry, the alliance between Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks could have significant market implications. The alternative dairy sector is rapidly growing and advancements in this area could capture a substantial market share from traditional dairy products. As the project progresses, it will be important to monitor consumer acceptance and regulatory developments, which will play critical roles in determining the commercial success of the venture.

Given Ginkgo's track record and Imagindairy's innovative approach, the partnership is poised to create competitive advantages in terms of product quality and cost. If the market responds favorably to these non-whey proteins, it could lead to increased revenue streams for both companies and potentially influence the stock market performance of Ginkgo Bioworks.

Imagindairy and Ginkgo will leverage Ginkgo Protein Expression Services and Imagindairy's process development and scale-up expertise to economically produce non-whey dairy proteins for the food industry, funded in part by a competitively won joint grant by the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation

HAIFA, Israel and BOSTON, March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagindairy, an Israeli-based foodtech company developing sustainable and commercially viable animal-free dairy proteins, and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, today announced a new partnership. Together, Ginkgo and Imagindairy aim to deliver a global solution for animal-free non-whey dairy protein production in a highly cost-effective manner. This collaboration will leverage Ginkgo Protein Expression Services and Imagindairy's process development and scale-up expertise to accelerate the development of functional non-whey dairy proteins. This is a multi-year program, funded in part by a joint grant from the Board of Governors of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation.

Imagindairy envisions a cutting-edge transition in the dairy industry that preserves the flavor, functionality and experience of dairy without relying on cows. Imagindairy combines its proprietary AI platform with the age-old art of precision fermentation and uses microorganisms to create sustainable, scalable dairy proteins, without sacrificing quality, flavor, or nutritional value. With access to its own fully operational production lines, a first in the industry, Imagindairy is able to produce cost-effective dairy proteins at scale.

Imagindairy and Ginkgo have partnered to design an optimized organism capable of cost-effectively producing non-whey dairy proteins. This will allow Imagindairy to remain focused on whey protein production and commercialization while accelerating time to market of non-whey proteins. In tandem, Ginkgo will utilize its AI and high throughput Foundry capabilities to engineer biological systems for improved production economics and functionality. Imagindairy will then develop the production process and perform scale-up and manufacturing of these proteins, marking a significant milestone in their mission to provide a full range of high-quality, animal-free dairy proteins to food producers.

Jennifer Wipf, Chief Commercial Officer at Ginkgo Bioworks: "Ginkgo has firmly established itself in the alternative dairy and food proteins industry, showcasing our leadership in protein and organism engineering. We have many successful collaborations in this space, and we're thrilled to get to work with Imagindairy on this innovative and market relevant project. We're also honored to be recognized by the BIRD Foundation. Being awarded this highly competitive grant is a testament to our technical expertise and ability to accomplish this project with Imagindairy. I can speak for the entire team when I say that the samples that Imagindairy have shared are absolutely next-level. If the rest of their pipeline is anything like what we've tasted, we can't wait to try what's next."

Eyal Afergan, Co-Founder & CEO at Imagindairy: "We're proud of this acknowledgment by the BIRD Foundation, as it highlights the importance of further innovation in the alternative proteins field, and our capability to successfully execute this project. Our process development capabilities and industrial-scale precision fermentation lines will allow us to rapidly scale the optimized strains created with Ginkgo and bring innovative non-whey proteins to the market faster. We're deeply impressed by Ginkgo's work in the foodtech industry and look forward to collaborating with them on the project. We're confident this collaboration will unlock further product offerings, providing consumers with additional animal-free dairy delights that match the cost and taste of traditional dairy, making significant contributions to the industry, consumers, and the world."

To learn more about Ginkgo Protein Expression Services, please visit https://www.ginkgobioworks.com/offerings/protein-services/ and schedule a time to talk to us by emailing proteins@ginkgobioworks.com.

To learn more about Imagindairy, please visit www.imagindairy.com or reach us via email at explore@imagindairy.com.

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 Imagindairy

Imagindairy is trailblazing a new future for the dairy industry by producing sustainable, animal- free dairy proteins that have the same flavor, mouthfeel, functionality, and nutritional properties as those from bovine sources. The company, founded in 2020, utilizes over 15 years of research of advanced computational biology and molecular biology to develop cost-effective fermentation processes that overcome considerable barriers in the foodtech industry. The company has recently received a No Questions Letter from the FDA, signifying the safety of its whey protein for consumer use. In addition, the company is the first to acquire and operate fully owned fermentation production lines for animal-free dairy proteins. Imagindairy is on a mission to bring a future of new possibilities and innovation to dairy lovers worldwide. For more information, please visit imagindairy.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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) our ability to realize the expected benefits of merger and acquisition transactions, (vii) the outcome of any legal proceedings against Ginkgo, including as a result of recent acquisitions, (viii) our ability to realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry platform programs, (ix) our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other deliverables, and (x) 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 quarterly report on Form 10-Q 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

IMAGINDAIRY CONTACT:
Jenn Eiskamp
Demonstrate PR on behalf of Imagindairy
imagindairy@demonstratepr.com

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SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks

What is the partnership between Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks about?

The partnership aims to produce non-whey dairy proteins for the food industry using Ginkgo's Protein Expression Services and Imagindairy's expertise.

Who is funding the joint program between Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks?

The joint program is funded in part by a grant from the Israel-U.S. BIRD Foundation.

What is Imagindairy's approach to creating sustainable dairy proteins?

Imagindairy combines AI technology with precision fermentation to produce scalable dairy proteins without compromising quality, flavor, or nutritional value.

What role will Ginkgo Bioworks play in the partnership?

Ginkgo will use its AI and Foundry capabilities to engineer biological systems for improved production economics and functionality.

Who is Jennifer Wipf and what is her role in the collaboration?

Jennifer Wipf is the Chief Commercial Officer at Ginkgo Bioworks, leading the company's efforts in alternative dairy and food proteins.

What does Eyal Afergan, the Co-Founder & CEO of Imagindairy, say about the collaboration?

Eyal Afergan highlights the importance of innovation in alternative proteins and the capability of successfully executing the project with Ginkgo to bring innovative non-whey proteins to the market faster.