Conagen’s Synthetic Biology for Sustainable Fragrances from Plant-based substrates

Date:9 Feb 2023

Country: United States

Application

• Sustainable production of fragrance ingredients using precision fermentation.
• Creation of affordable, eco-friendly luxury scents for mass consumption.

Description

Conagen, a Massachusetts-based biotech company, is revolutionizing the fragrance industry through synthetic biology. Using precision fermentation, they produce sustainable, affordable, and clean fragrance ingredients traditionally sourced from plants and animals. Their approach eliminates the need for rare, hard-to-source materials, making luxury scents more accessible. This innovation aims to create high-quality, eco-friendly fragrances for mass consumption.

Pathway Description:

The process used in this project is precision fermentation, a form of synthetic biology. Engineered microbes are used to convert renewable feedstocks, like sugars, into fragrance molecules. This method replicates the complex scent compounds found in natural ingredients but in a more sustainable and scalable way. It allows the production of high-quality fragrance ingredients without the need for rare, resource-intensive plant or animal sources.