Auralifescience (Aura Life Science) uses engineered cyanobacteria that convert light and CO₂ into high‑value recombinant proteins, delivering protein yields up to 50× higher than traditional photosynthetic methods. 6 kg CO₂ per kilogram of biomass, while enabling localized, supply‑chain‑secure production for pharma, biotech, and enzyme manufacturers.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional microbial fermentation relies on agricultural feedstocks such as corn, soy, and sugar, creating supply‑chain vulnerabilities, high input costs, and significant carbon emissions. These constraints limit the scalability and sustainability of protein production for pharmaceuticals, industrial enzymes, and other high‑value biomolecules.
Solution
Aura Life Science has engineered a cyanobacterial biomanufacturing platform that uses light and CO₂ as the sole feedstocks to produce recombinant proteins. By reprogramming the cyanobacteria’s circadian clock, the system achieves 30–50× higher protein expression than wild‑type strains, enabling production yields up to 50× greater than conventional photosynthetic methods. The process is carbon‑negative, sequestering approximately 1.6 kg of CO₂ per kilogram of biomass, and reduces manufacturing costs to roughly one‑quarter of traditional fermentation. Because inputs—sunlight and atmospheric CO₂—are globally abundant, production can be localized near end‑users, enhancing supply‑chain security and resilience. The platform supports a range of target proteins, demonstrated with human pro‑insulin and luciferase, and can be scaled from pilot to commercial volumes.
Target Audience
Primary customers are pharmaceutical and biotech companies, industrial enzyme manufacturers, and contract development and manufacturing organizations seeking sustainable, cost‑effective protein production at scale.
Features
- Engineered cyanobacteria that convert light and CO₂ directly into high‑value recombinant proteins
- Circadian‑clock optimization delivering 30–50× improvement in protein expression over wild‑type strains
- Carbon‑negative manufacturing with an estimated -1.6 kg CO₂ captured per kg of biomass produced
- Production costs approximately 4× lower than conventional sugar‑based fermentation processes
- Flexible, modular bioreactor designs that can be deployed locally using only light and CO₂
- Proven capability to produce therapeutic proteins (e.g., human pro‑insulin) and industrial enzymes (e.g., luciferase)