Bioluminescent plants are now even brighter

Ketchum, ID - February 1, 2024 – Light Bio, an innovative synthetic biology startup, today announced that it is beginning to sell its groundbreaking bioluminescent petunias in the United States. With support from notable biotech leaders such as NFX and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), Light Bio is reimagining the horticultural industry by introducing a new category of plants that emit an ethereal glow to enrich homes, gardens, and public spaces.

People are fascinated with glowing plants, and scientists have now revealed how to make these much brighter. This significant achievement, documented in Nature Methods, details genetic modifications which enhance bioluminescence in a variety of plants by up to 100 times. The team of 26 scientists, working across 9 research organizations, created the brighter plants by optimizing genes isolated from multiple species of luminous mushrooms.  

The new research builds on an earlier discovery for creating continuously glowing plants by inserting DNA obtained from the mushrooms.  Those researchers had revealed a surprising similarity between mushroom bioluminescence and plant metabolism, allowing for more visible light than was previously possible. In this new report, the scientists have adapted the inserted genes to further boost luminescence.

The improvements were not limited to glowing plants. The scientists showed that the genetic modifications also elevated luminescence in yeast and mammalian cells. But the luminescence in plants was entirely self-sustaining owing to the metabolic synergy. This enables perpetual illumination without any external aid. Petunias provided the brightest bioluminescence, especially in the flower buds.

Beginning in April, glowing petunias will be available under the brand Firefly™ Petunia, so named because the bright buds resemble fireflies. Last September, the USDA determined through its independent evaluation that Light Bio’s genetically engineered Firefly Petunia may be safely grown and bred in the United States. This creates an unparalleled opportunity for plant enthusiasts to enjoy the transformative experience of living light. 

Light Bio is excited to begin taking orders today for its category-defining Firefly Petunias, available at www.light.bio, today. 50,000 plants are available for purchase on their website and can be shipped to all 48 contiguous states in the US. One plant costs $29 USD and customers will start receiving plants this April.

Light Bio chose the petunia as its first product because it is one of the most popular ornamental plants in the world.  Petunias are easy to grow and produce an abundance of flowers.  The Firefly Petunia is indistinguishable from conventional petunias, except that it gives off an ethereal aura at night.  From seedling to mature plant, it glows without any specialized requirements or treatment.  

The soft illumination of the Firefly Petunia is similar to moonlight, creating an unparalleled opportunity for plant enthusiasts to enjoy the magical experience of living light. When seeing these plants, people often think of the bioluminescent paradise imagined in the hugely popular Avatar movies. This imaginative spectacle is now becoming a reality for homes and gardens.

“This milestone—and the magical experience we are bringing to people across the country—has been decades in the making,” said Keith Wood, CEO of Light Bio. “As part of the scientific team that discovered the bioluminescence genes from fireflies, I helped create the first glowing plant in 1986 which has inspired scientists worldwide. In the forty-odd years since, we have discovered a new bioluminescence technology that now allows us to bring these delightful plants to consumers. We can’t wait to see their reactions and to discover the bright future ahead for this incredible technology.”

“This is an incredible achievement for synthetic biology. Light Bio is bringing us leaps and bounds closer to our solarpunk dream of living in Avatar's Pandora," said Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks. "This achievement isn't just novel and exciting — it shows how the power of synthetic biology can light a passion for nature and technology. We at Ginkgo are thrilled to continue to support Light Bio in illuminating the world. And we couldn’t be more excited by our partnership, in which our teams are working together to make the next generation of their glowing plants ten times brighter.”

Light Bio continually optimizes the genetics of bioluminescent plants to further increase brightness. Working in collaboration with Ginkgo Bioworks, Light Bio anticipates that future plants will be at least 10-fold brighter. More plant varieties and more colors are also envisioned.  In addition to the pure joy these plants bring, the underlying science also helps to elucidate the molecular physiology of plants. The teams believe that insights gained from this research will bring meaningful advancements across critical areas like food security and nutrition.   

For more information on Light Bio and its glow-in-the-dark plants, please visit

www.light.bio.

About Light Bio

Founded in 2019, Light Bio is a pioneering synthetic biology startup focused on cultivating vibrant bioluminescent plants. Through the melding of proprietary technology and advanced genetic engineering, Light Bio is bringing the magic of living light to ornamental horticulture. The company enjoys robust backing from industry leaders such as NFX, Ginkgo Bioworks, and others. To learn more, please visit www.light.bio and follow on X (formerly known as Twitter) @Light_Bio and LinkedIn.

About Ginkgo Bioworks

Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve challenges for organizations across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty chemicals. Ginkgo's biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, is building global infrastructure for biosecurity to empower governments, communities, and public health leaders to prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological threats. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com and concentricbyginkgo.com, read our blog, or follow us on social media channels such as X (formerly known as Twitter) (@Ginkgo and @ConcentricByGBW), Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks and @ConcentricByGinkgo), 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 and Ginkgo's cell programming platform. 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) 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, (ii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and to identify and realize additional business opportunities, (iii) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (iv) the uncertainty regarding the demand for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (v) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations, (vi) our ability to realize the expected benefits of merger and acquisition transactions, (vii) the outcome of any legal proceedings against Ginkgo, including as a result of recent acquisitions, (viii) our ability to realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry platform programs, (ix) our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other deliverables, and (x) the product development or commercialization success of our customers. 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 quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on November 8, 2023 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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