Ginkgo BioWorks is a biotechnology startup based in Boston, Massachusetts.

The bioengineering company is focused on creating custom microbes using synthetic DNA to create novel materials.

Ginkgo strives to manufacture biological products for the health, nutrition, and consumer goods sectors.

Ginkgo BioWorks was founded by Openwetware.org developer Jason Kelly, synthetic biologist Reshma Shetty, and the "godfather of synthetic biology" and AI developer Tom Knight.

They uses microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria to produce proteins transcribed and translated from custom DNA sequences, most notably from synthetic DNA companies Twist Bioscience and Gen9. CNBC listed Ginkgo at 7 of the Top 50 Disruptors of 2016.

Projects and Partnerships

The company is working with the government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under a contract to develop a chemical to treat antibiotic-resistant microbes, with special attention to treat stomach illnesses of overseas U.S. soldiers.

The contract includes government funds to write DNA code and accelerate process development innovations.

Ginkgo placed an order of 600 million base pairs of DNA from Twist and Gen9 in June 2016, which is roughly 600,000 genes worth of material or 60% of the total amount of synthetic DNA sold in 2015.

The cost of synthesizing DNA is dropping as hardware and software technologies progress, which allows Ginkgo to order large amounts of DNA in bulk.

The company can produce flavorings and fragrances artificially without the need of plants or animals to produce oils.

For example, French fragrance manufacturer Robertet has teamed with Ginkgo to recreate the smell of a rose rather than use expensive flower petals to make perfumes.

Technology Overview

The process of creating a biological system at Ginkgo begins with precisely designing unique enzymesin silicoas the desired biological input. Their custom-built robot transform single-celled yeast and certain fatty acids in the nutritional liquid medium. For example, the yeast production of lactone, a cyclic ester compound commonly found in plants, is popularly used in perfume manufacturing. The lactone is then extracted by column chromatography to purify it as an isolated enzymatic protein. The organisms and their products are licensed by Ginkgo to partners ^[1].

Foundries

Ginkgo BioWorks created a biological foundry, BioWorks1, that automates designing and prototyping organisms at-scale in an 18,000 square-foot facility that can build and test 100 million base pairs of DNA in a year.

BioWorks2 is a new 25,000 square-foot manufacturing facility that can increase its production capabilities six-fold.

Funding

The company gained momentum with funding from Y Combinator's first class of biology-backed startups in the summer of 2014 with.

In June 2016, Ginkgo raised $100 million with Series C funding from Y Combinator’s Continuity Fund, Senator Investment Group, Cascade Investment, Baillie Gifford, Viking Global Investors and Allen & Company. The startup has raised a total of $154 million over four rounds of funding, including seed investment.