by 
ABO member Checkerspot announced this month that it has closed a $13M Series A funding round that will further propel the company’s technology that uses microalgae to make high-performance materials.
Checkerspot’s platform views microalgae triglycerides, or oils, as scaffolds that in combination with chemistry and fabrication can unlock a new revolution in sustainable manufacturing. Traditional sources of triglyceride feedstocks can include palm, soy and canola, and are used by hundreds of markets, from producers of beauty products to industrial materials. However, these traditional sources suffer from increasing challenges in production sustainability, as well as performance limits.
Checkerspot’s ability to modify the properties of microalgae fatty acids means the company can customize a product to meet very specific performance metrics. Those metrics might include a desired strength-to-weight ratio, water repellency, or a production process that is less reliant on expensive or toxic feedstocks.
Checkerspot illustrates how new approaches in biology and manufacturing are beginning to harness the natural potential of algae in ways that will have enormous impacts for global industries. It’s just one more way that ABO members are at the forefront of world-changing technology!
For more information check out Checkerspot’s press release, and this story at SynBioBeta.
