Twig Bio is pioneering a sustainable future for chemical manufacturing with its innovative bioprocess for producing palmitic acid (PA), derived from Palm Oil (PO) and a critical ingredient in a wide range of consumer products, from cosmetics to detergents. Traditional PA production relies heavily on palm oil, contributing significantly to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. Our solution replaces this environmentally damaging process with a bio-based alternative that is efficient, scalable, and sustainable. Our approach leverages cutting-edge synthetic biology and AI-driven innovation. Using our proprietary Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle, we engineer microbial strains to produce PA from sugar-rich industrial waste streams, such as those produced in sugar refining. This process transforms a disposal challenge into a valuable resource, drastically reducing production costs and environmental impact. The project aims to develop and scale a commercially viable biomanufacturing process that supports global Net Zero ambitions and creates a new model for sustainable industrial chemistry. Through partnerships with industry leaders, Twig Bio is poised to accelerate the adoption of bio-based PA, ensuring market relevance and a strong route to commercialization. By displacing traditional palm oil-derived processes, our innovation will mitigate environmental harm, stabilise supply chains, and foster economic growth. Over the next five years, Twig Bio plans to create 40 high-value jobs, generate £10+ million in revenue, and support the UK's position as a leader in sustainable biotechnology. This project exemplifies how cutting-edge science can address global challenges while driving economic and environmental progress.

Traditional sunscreen formulations are highly effective for the prevention of skin cancer (the 5th most common cancer in the UK). However, the UV protective active ingredients used in their formulations have a number of health and environmental issues. Some sunscreen actives can absorb into the skin, leading to hormone disruption and skin sensitivity issues. Some form a white cast on the skin and cause skin dryness and discomfort. Sunscreen actives also cause significant damage to marine and aquatic environments, where they build up in species resulting in endocrine disruption and the bleaching of corals. There is a need for alternative ingredients for safe and effective sunscreen formulations. Mycosporines and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are UV absorbing molecules found mostly in marine organisms and present a non-toxic bioalternative to traditional sunscreen actives. However, current MAA extraction methods are laborious, expensive and damaging to marine biodiversity, severely limiting their use in mainstream applications. Bio-based manufacturing using microorganisms offers a sustainable alternative to environmentally detrimental extraction as well as capital-intensive chemical manufacturing. However, the development of suitable host strains required for industrial scale biomanufacturing is often slow and expensive. Twig Bio are pioneering the development of a lab automation platform with machine learning to expedite the R&D process for strain development. This relies on increased automation using data driven insights applied to the strain development process, enabling the rapid development of highly productive commercially viable strains. In this Innovate UK funded project, Twig Bio's approach will be applied to develop strains for biomanufacturing production of MAAs for use in sunscreens. Twig Bio will collaborate with experts from the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) to develop and scale-up for commercial scale biomanufacturer of MAAs as high-performance sustainable suncare active ingredients.

Isoprene is a high-value, bulk commodity chemical, widely used in the production of industrial rubbers (~95% of all isoprene use). Additionally, isoprene can be converted downstream to a wide range of useful isoprenoid product molecules (e.g. limonene, retinol), commonly used in high-value sectors (e.g. flavourings, pharmaceuticals and beauty and fragrances). However, isoprene is currently primarily produced via petroleum cracking, which is both cost-intensive and highly detrimental to the environment. Furthermore, the dependence on fossil fuels for isoprene production leaves the isoprene market extremely susceptible to fluctuations in crude oil and gas prices. In recent times, this issue has become increasingly apparent owing to COVID supply chain issues and the Russia-Ukraine war severely impacting feedstock prices. The development of relatively cheap and sustainable isoprene production routes is of great interest. Bio-based manufacturing using microorganisms offers a sustainable alternative for the production of isoprene. However, development of suitable host strains for industrial scale biomanufacturing is slow and expensive. Twig are pioneering the development of a lab automation platform with machine learning to expedite the R&D process for strain development. This relies on increased automation using data driven insights applied to the strain development process, enabling the rapid development of highly productive commercially viable strains. Building on advancements in miniature fermentation systems, we aim to advance our approach by incorporating data from high-throughput screening using pioreactor-arrays, to be developed in collaboration with UCL. Successful outcomes will de-risk isoprene production and support post-project engagement with commercial partners for scale-up. Isoprene also unlocks pathways to other molecules of interest e.g. limonene, retinol, bakuchiol.

Palm oil production is reliant on intensive farming which is subject to price volatility and causes biodiversity loss. Global supply issues due to Covid and the war in Ukraine has also caused price inflation for manufacturers. In addition, the global population will grow to 10 billion by 2050, consuming more and more products - palmitic acid and palm oil derivatives are present in ~50% of packaged consumer products. There is an increasing need for a more sustainable and resilient process for palmitic acid production. Bio-based manufacturing through the use of microorganisms offers exciting potential for the production of palmitic acid. However, development of suitable host strains for industrial scale biomanufacturing is slow and expensive. Twig Bio are developing an automated, machine learning approach which will enable precision strain engineering and expedite development through rapid design-build-test cycles. The approach considers strain stabilisation from the outset ensuring strains are scalable and stable under continuous fermentation process conditions for use in industrial manufacturing. In collaboration with the Centre for Process Innovation, the resulting strains will be evaluated for process scale up and commercial viability under process conditions to demonstrate the benefits of the approach in the development of sustainable bio-based manufacturing processes.