Biomanufacturing Scale Up
Lygos Joins Forces with Flexible Solutions to Meet Growing Commercial Demand for Bio-Aspartic™ Acid
Multi-functional organic acid offers compelling performance, economic and environmental advantages over traditional industrial ingredients
February 09, 2021 08:03 AM Eastern Standard Time
BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lygos, Inc., a vertically integrated provider of safe and sustainable specialty ingredients, today announced a strategic investment from Flexible Solutions (NYSE: FSI) and its subsidiary NanoChem Solutions to advance Lygos’ Bio-Aspartic™ Acid technology. The investment is part of Lygos’ ongoing commitment to reducing dependence on foreign fossil fuels and reviving North American manufacturing capabilities.
NanoChem Solutions specializes in biodegradable, water-soluble products utilizing thermal polyaspartate (TPA) polymers. Initially developed as part of a grant from the US Department of Energy, Lygos' Bio-Aspartic Acid can be used to produce TPA, which is a safe and sustainable alternative to polyacrylic acid (PAC). PAC is a key ingredient for a broad set of industrial agriculture, water treatment and chemical applications. Every year, millions of pounds of PAC are produced with a petrochemical process that often ends up polluting bodies of water and food supplies. Lygos aims to replace this toxic process by converting sustainable sugars into Bio-Aspartic Acid and other high-value specialty chemicals. The company’s proprietary technology platform utilizes the latest advances in bioengineering and data science to create bio-based solutions that feature compelling performance, economic and environmental advantages over traditional industrial ingredients."FSI believes in the potential of sustainable aspartic acid,” said Dan O’Brien, CEO of FSI. “Our innovative TPA biopolymers have been recognized by the EPA for their ability to reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous substances. The addition of Lygos’ sustainable Bio-Aspartic Acid will further improve the performance of our biodegradable, water-soluble products and reduce the overall impact on the environment.”“As the US rejoins global efforts in the fight against climate change, Lygos is focused on developing world-changing technologies aimed at sequestering carbon dioxide and replacing harmful plastics with more biodegradable and sustainable alternatives,” said Eric Steen, PhD, CEO of Lygos. “We are partnering with FSI and other industry leaders to advance our leading portfolio of organic acids, scale production and enable more customers around the world to create higher-quality and safer products.”About Flexible Solutions InternationalFlexible Solutions International, Inc. (www.flexiblesolutions.com), based in Taber, Alberta, is an environmental technology company. The Company’s NanoChem Solutions Inc. subsidiary specializes in biodegradable, water-soluble products utilizing thermal polyaspartate (TPA) biopolymers. TPA beta-proteins are manufactured from the common biological amino acid, L-aspartic and have wide usage including scale inhibitors, detergent ingredients, water treatment and crop enhancement. Along with TPA, this division produces other crop enhancement products. Other divisions manufacture energy and water conservation products for drinking water, agriculture, industrial markets and swimming pools throughout the world. FSI is the developer and manufacturer of WaterSavr™, the world’s first commercially viable water evaporation retardant. WaterSavr™ reduces evaporation by up to 30% on reservoirs, lakes, aqueducts, irrigation canals, ponds and slow-moving rivers. Heatsavr™, a “liquid blanket” evaporation retardant for the commercial swimming pool and spa markets, reduces energy costs by 15% to 40% and can result in reduced indoor pool humidity.About LygosLygos has created a fully integrated biological engineering platform focused on organic acid specialty chemicals, as well as health & wellness ingredients that include Lygos CBx cannabinoids and bio-monomers. Lygos’ sustainable, bio-based chemicals replace expensive, environmentally degrading alternatives from traditional industrial suppliers, enabling customers to create better, safer products with value-added performance. For more information, visit www.lygos.com and follow us @LygosBiotech.Lygos, the Lygos logo and Bio-Aspartic are trademarks of Lygos, Inc. Any other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.
