ABO member Matrix Genetics has announced a technology breakthrough that allows for rapid and efficient production of pigments and proteins in Spirulina, a species of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). This discovery will offer the food industry a new, scalable and sustainable source of safe ingredients that meet the increasing demands of consumers.
A lot of food colorings and other food ingredients are made from petroleum, synthetic processes or come with health concerns. Even many of the natural food dyes and ingredients used today come from unsustainable sources, like the palm oil that leads to forest degradation. Upping the production of algae-derived alternatives means they can be made without major freshwater impacts and even on non-agricultural lands such as deserts.
Before this advance from Matrix Genetics, the global production of Spirulina had been held back by the lack of efficient genetic engineering. Matrix has broken through this bottleneck by being the first to invent rapid and efficient genetic methods for modifying Spirulina. These methods have been long sought after by the algal industry, but have proven elusive.
Read more about Matrix Genetics’ breakthrough here.