Licensing collaboration combines Ginkgo's engineered fungal chassis strains with Acies Bio's end-to-end strain development, bioprocess scale-up and manufacturing platform, giving customers a turnkey path from strain to scaled bioprocess
BOSTON and LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — August 3rd, 2026 — Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) and Acies Bio, a European biotechnology company specializing in microbial strain development, bioprocess development, scale-up, and manufacturing, today announced a partnership that will combine one of Ginkgo's most versatile microbial "factories" with Acies to support companies around the world.
At the center of the deal is a specially engineered strain of Aspergillus niger — a common, food-safe fungus that industry has relied on for decades. When fed sugar, it produces proteins and enzymes that end up in a host of industrial and consumer applications including edible ingredients, dietary supplements, more effective laundry detergents, healthier animal feed, and a new generation of sustainably made foods.
Ginkgo has fine-tuned this microbe in three ways: it's easier and cheaper to grow in large tanks, it no longer produces unwanted natural byproducts, and it's "cleaner" — meaning it doesn't produce unwanted natural byproducts. These improvements can translate into higher output, lower manufacturing costs, and a safer, more consistent product.
Microbes like Aspergillus niger are the product of Ginkgo's engineering platform and powered by Ginkgo's autonomous lab, the largest of its kind in the world. That scale and automation lets Ginkgo test large numbers of genetic variations of microbes in parallel, surpassing the amount that a traditional lab bench could manage, and narrow in on the combination of traits that optimize manufacturing.
Through its SmartRouteTM integration, Acies Bio brings the complementary capabilities required to rapidly translate Ginkgo's microbial chassis strains into customer-specific production systems. Its teams can introduce and optimize target protein expression, develop downstream and upstream processes, validate performance, and scale production from laboratory development to industrial manufacturing inside Acies Bio’s own biomanufacturing facility with up to 30 m3 fermentation volumes. This gives customers a single development path instead of requiring them to coordinate strain access, process development, and scale-up separately.
The collaboration combines Ginkgo’s engineered fungal chassis strains with Acies Bio’s strain development, bioprocess scale-up and manufacturing platform, creating an integrated path from production strain to commercial process.
"Our Aspergillus niger platform strains were built to take friction out of industrial protein production — low viscosity, low protease activity, and inactivated mycotoxin pathways from the start," said Jill Bradshaw, General Manager of Ginkgo's Microbial Solutions business unit. "By pairing these chassis strains with Acies Bio's development and manufacturing expertise, we can put a proven starting point in the hands of customers who want to move quickly from concept to scaled production."
"Ginkgo's chassis strains are an excellent foundation, and our team with 20 years of experience in industrial strain and process development knows how to turn a strong starting strain into a robust, scalable bioprocess," said Štefan Fujs, Director of Acies Bio. "This collaboration lets us offer customers a complete path, from strain access through process development and manufacturing, without needing to build fungal engineering capabilities in-house."
Ginkgo's Aspergillus niger chassis strains are now available to Acies Bio customers under license from Ginkgo Bioworks. Companies interested in strain access and integrated development, scale-up and manufacturing programs can learn more at ginkgobioworks.com and aciesbio.com.
About Acies Bio
Acies Bio d.o.o., headquartered in Ljubljana, Slovenia, is a biotechnology CDMO specializing in the development of innovative, complete solutions across microbial biotechnology, synthetic biology, and precision fermentation. The company’s SmartoRouteTM solution offers end-to-end R&D capabilities through scale-up bioprocesses, proprietary chassis strains, and efficient project management. For more information, visit aciesbio.com or info@aciesbio.com
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks builds the tools that make biology easier to engineer for everyone. The company offers autonomous laboratories that replace manual laboratory work with robotics in the lab, greatly improving the productivity of scientists. Ginkgo's in-house autonomous lab is also available as a "Cloud Lab" through our Datapoints and Solutions contract research services. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com, read our blog, or follow us on social media channels such as X (@Ginkgo), Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks), 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. 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) our ability to realize near-term and long-term cost savings associated with our site consolidation plans, including the ability to terminate leases or find sub-lease tenants for unused facilities, (ii) 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, (iii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and to identify and realize additional business opportunities, including with respect to our solutions and tools offerings, (iv) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (v) the uncertainty regarding the demand for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (vi) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations, (vii) the outcome of any pending or potential legal proceedings against Ginkgo, (viii) our ability to realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry platform programs and Codebase assets, (ix) our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other deliverables, (x) the product development, production or manufacturing success of our customers, (xi) our exposure to the volatility and liquidity risks inherent in holding equity interests in other operating companies and other non-cash consideration we may receive for our services, (xii) the potential negative impact on our business of our restructuring or the failure to realize the anticipated savings associated therewith and (xiii) the uncertainty regarding government budgetary priorities and funding allocated to government agencies. 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 annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 26, 2026, 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.
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SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks