Viridos

Viridos, formerly Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI), was co-founded in 2005 by J. Craig Venter and Nobel Laureate Hamilton O. Smith. Viridos is applying synthetic biology to microalgae for the production of products that address climate change and sustainability. Viridos is focused on producing algal biofuels and other sustainable resources from algae. Viridos in partnership with ExxonMobil, has a microalgae-based platform for production of low-carbon intensity biofuels with the goal of reducing greenhouse emissions from aviation, commercial trucking and maritime shipping.

Under the name Synthetic Genomics, the company was initially focused on engineering cell platforms and printing biological components. SGI-DNA was a subsidiary of Synthetic Genomics that sold synthetic genomics reagents and instruments including the first DNA printer. SGI-DNA separated form Synthetic Genomics in 2019 and changed their name to Codex DNA.

Previous R&D programs focused on self-amplifying RNA for vaccines and therapeutics and cell factories for discovery and biomanufacturing.

Through its former subsidiary SGI-DNA, Synthetic Genomics commercialized two novel organisms that have the potential to become new standard host organisms in biological research. Cmax is a microbial host capable of making proteins, including monoclonal antibodies, for therapeutic applications. It is purported to be faster, cheaper, and more scaleable than the industry standard host Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells.

Vmax is a microbial host capable of making a variety of molecules. It is a proprietary strain of Vibrio natriegens, which grows nearly twice as fast as Escherichia coli, a standard host organism used in biological research and some commercial applications.

Synthetic Genomics has publicly-announced five partnerships, including three focused on healthcare, one focused on animal health, and one focused on industrial biotechnology: ExxonMobil, United Therapeutics, Ceva, Janssen and Novartis.