Ayana Bio and Wooree Green Science Partner to Produce Agriculture-Free Saffron
Boston-based Ayana Bio, a spinoff from Ginkgo Bioworks, and Wooree Green Science, a biotech from South Korea developing functional ingredients, announce a partnership to develop sustainable ingredients for health and wellness products for the South Korean market. Under a joint development agreement, the companies will produce agriculture-free saffron using plant-cell technology to make it more affordable for plant-based weight loss supplements. Using this novel method, the companies aim to address supply chain challenges and expensive labor fees. As Ayana Bio explains, saffron is proven to support weight loss by reducing hunger and boosting metabolism. However, the detrimental impact of climate change on saffron crops is intensifying the challenges within the supply chain. Harvesting this labor-intensive plant requires up to 170,000 flowers to yield a kilo of saffron, …