KETCHUM,
Idaho, Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Light Bio, an
innovative synthetic biology startup, today announced that it is
beginning to sell its groundbreaking bioluminescent petunias in
the United States. With support
from notable biotech leaders such as NFX and Ginkgo Bioworks
(NYSE: DNA), Light Bio is reimagining the horticultural industry by
introducing a new category of plants that emit an ethereal glow to
enrich homes, gardens, and public spaces.
People are fascinated with glowing plants, and
scientists have now revealed how to make these much brighter. This
significant achievement, documented in Nature Methods, details
genetic modifications which enhance bioluminescence in a variety of
plants by up to 100 times. The team of 26 scientists, working
across 9 research organizations, created the brighter plants by
optimizing genes isolated from multiple species of luminous
mushrooms.
The new research builds on an earlier discovery
for creating continuously glowing plants by inserting DNA obtained
from the mushrooms. Those researchers had revealed a surprising
similarity between mushroom bioluminescence and plant metabolism,
allowing for more visible light than was previously possible. In
this new report, the scientists have adapted the inserted genes to
further boost luminescence.
The improvements were not limited to glowing
plants. The scientists showed that the genetic modifications also
elevated luminescence in yeast and mammalian cells. But the
luminescence in plants was entirely self-sustaining owing to the
metabolic synergy. This enables perpetual illumination without any
external aid. Petunias provided the brightest bioluminescence,
especially in the flower buds.
Beginning in April, glowing petunias will be
available under the brand Firefly™ Petunia, so named because the
bright buds resemble fireflies. Last September, the USDA determined
through its independent evaluation that Light Bio's genetically
engineered Firefly Petunia may be safely grown and bred in
the United States. This creates an
unparalleled opportunity for plant enthusiasts to enjoy the
transformative experience of living light.
Light Bio is excited to begin taking orders today
for its category-defining Firefly Petunias, available at
www.light.bio, today. 50,000 plants are available for purchase on
their website and can be shipped to all 48 contiguous states in the
US. One plant costs $29 USD and
customers will start receiving plants this April.
Light Bio chose the petunia as its first product
because it is one of the most popular ornamental plants in the
world. Petunias are easy to grow and produce an abundance of
flowers. The Firefly Petunia is indistinguishable from conventional
petunias, except that it gives off an ethereal aura at night. From
seedling to mature plant, it glows without any specialized
requirements or treatment.
The soft illumination of the Firefly Petunia is
similar to moonlight, creating an unparalleled opportunity for
plant enthusiasts to enjoy the magical experience of living light.
When seeing these plants, people often think of the bioluminescent
paradise imagined in the hugely popular Avatar movies. This
imaginative spectacle is now becoming a reality for homes and
gardens.
"This milestone—and the magical experience we are
bringing to people across the country—has been decades in the
making," said Keith Wood, CEO of
Light Bio. "As part of the scientific team that discovered the
bioluminescence genes from fireflies, I helped create
the first glowing plant in 1986 which has inspired scientists
worldwide. In the forty-odd years since, we have discovered a new
bioluminescence technology that now allows us to bring these
delightful plants to consumers. We can't wait to see their
reactions and to discover the bright future ahead for this
incredible technology."
"This is an incredible achievement for synthetic
biology. Light Bio is bringing us leaps and bounds closer to our
solarpunk dream of living in Avatar's Pandora," said Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Ginkgo
Bioworks. "This achievement isn't just novel and exciting — it
shows how the power of synthetic biology can light a passion for
nature and technology. We at Ginkgo are thrilled to continue to
support Light Bio in illuminating the world. And we couldn't be
more excited by our partnership, in which our teams are working
together to make the next generation of their glowing plants ten
times brighter."
Light Bio continually optimizes the genetics of
bioluminescent plants to further increase brightness. Working in
collaboration with Ginkgo Bioworks, Light Bio anticipates that
future plants will be at least 10-fold brighter. More plant
varieties and more colors are also envisioned. In addition to the
pure joy these plants bring, the underlying science also helps to
elucidate the molecular physiology of plants. The teams believe
that insights gained from this research will bring meaningful
advancements across critical areas like food security and
nutrition.
For more information on Light Bio and its
glow-in-the-dark plants, please visit
www.light.bio.
About Light Bio
Founded in 2019, Light Bio is a pioneering
synthetic biology startup focused on cultivating vibrant
bioluminescent plants. Through the melding of proprietary
technology and advanced genetic engineering, Light Bio is bringing
the magic of living light to ornamental horticulture. The company
enjoys robust backing from industry leaders such as NFX, Ginkgo
Bioworks, and others. To learn more, please visit www.light.bio and
follow on X (formerly known as Twitter) @Light_Bio and
LinkedIn.
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
(formerly known as Twitter) (@Ginkgo and @ConcentricByGBW),
Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks and @ConcentricByGinkgo), Threads
(@GinkgoBioworks) or 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 November 8, 2023 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.
LIGHT BIO CONTACT:
hello@light.bio
GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR
CONTACT:
investors@ginkgobioworks.com
GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA
CONTACT:
press@ginkgobioworks.com
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