Top Ten Suppliers of Synthetic Biology Technology

• Publication date: March 2013
• Report size: 54 pages

INTRODUCTION Recent advances allowing for the better understanding of the ways in which living DNA creates the materials of life have opened remarkable new possibilities in materials science and chemical engineering. According to physicist Freeman Dyson, “The ability to design and create new forms of life marks a turning point in the history of our species and our planet.” These advances also mark an economic turning po...

INTRODUCTION

Recent advances allowing for the better understanding of the ways in which living DNA creates the materials of life have opened remarkable new possibilities in materials science and chemical engineering. According to physicist Freeman Dyson, “The ability to design and create new forms of life marks a turning point in the history of our species and our planet.”

These advances also mark an economic turning point, creating a market vision of synthetic life forms and life processes tailored to produce specific substances. The desired yield of such substances as biofuels can be measured in millions of tons, whereas pharmaceuticals can be measured in grams or milligrams.

The door that is opening is likely to affect important markets for decades. Intense research and development continues to be both privately and publically funded, but the work has emphatically moved out of the laboratory and into the marketplace. Major corporations are putting new intellectual properties to work in new factories in the U.S. and abroad.

The players on this new field include new companies that come directly out of university research riding large holdings of intellectual property and established multinational giants that have the networks necessary to distribute and market the new materials.

Between these two ends of the spectrum, companies are emerging that can intermediately supply the substances and services that bridge the gaps. The result is intricate patterns of interconnection between layers of the new supply chains. Acquisitions up and down these supply chains are frequent, as capital is freely available due to the obvious potential.

This document examines 10 of the top companies in the field and discusses their positions in these complex patterns of supply and demand, as well as their investments and alliances. The chosen companies have effectively positioned themselves to connect the ends of the chain from the specialized tools and materials end or acquired the ability to make the most effective use of these tools and materials.

BCC Research selected 10 companies that deserve recognition as leaders in the industry. Some are large established multinationals that have embraced the new technology. Others are startup pioneers that grow directly out of the research and development process. They are:

Life Technologies
DNA2.0
Origene
Synthetic Genomics
DuPont
Pfizer
Novozymes
Amrys Biotechnologies
Scarab Genomics
British Petroleum

Any top 10 list has subjective elements, and thus five other companies are profiled in less detail.

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

This document is a specialty report related to BCC Research report BIO066B by John Bergin. The goal of this document is to provide a more in-depth look at the top-tier synthetic biology companies, as well as some of the second-tier companies that are sure to play important roles in the years to come. More specifically, the objectives include identifying companies that are considered the leaders in their fields, as well as the technological means these companies are using to exploit their markets and dominate their fields.

Synthetic biology markets reviewed in this report include:

Markets by end-use segment, such as research and development (R&D), diagnostics/pharmaceuticals, energy, chemicals, and agriculture.
Markets by product type, including enabling products, biologic components, integrated systems, and enabled products.

Other major factors used to determine top companies in the field include:

Alliances, mergers, and acquisition strategies.
Financing.
Intellectual property (i.e., patent) portfolios.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

The study compiles existing and future synthetic biology products and technologies that will be commercially important in the main end -user segments of life science research, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, energy, chemicals, and agriculture.

This report will be of particular interest to pharmaceutical, chemical, enzyme, energy, agricultural, biotechnology and nanobiotechnology companies, as well as suppliers of genomics tools, DNA synthesis and DNA-sequencing products. It will also help professionals within governments and regulatory agencies to understand the scope and pace of synthetic biology technologies as they reach the market.

SCOPE

This report focuses on 10 selected synthetic biology companies and the key areas in the field driving the industry growth that allows these companies to succeed. Key market segments include synthetic genes, chassis organisms, biofuels, specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Another key area is industry structure, with a focus on strategic alliances and acquisitions, as well as pertinent patent information.

METHODOLOGY

Based on primary and secondary market analysis, this report analyzes the top 10 companies in DNA sequencing, as well as several additional companies worth recognizing.

Genetically Modified Organism, GMO Industry in the United Kingdom

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 2
INTENDED AUDIENCE 2
SCOPE 2
METHODOLOGY 3
RELATED BCC REPORTS 3
BCC ONLINE SERVICES 3
DISCLAIMER 3
CHAPTER 2 SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY OVERVIEW 5
HISTORY 5
TECHNOLOGY 5
TABLE 1 FORCES DRIVING THE GROWTH OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 7
TABLE 2 LIFECYCLE STAGES IN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 8
CHAPTER 3 MARKETS 10
MARKET OVERVIEW 10
TABLE 3 GLOBAL SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ENABLING PRODUCT MARKET BY
TYPE, THROUGH 2016 ($ MILLIONS) 11
TABLE 4 GLOBAL SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ENABLING PRODUCT MARKET BY
INDUSTRY, THROUGH 2016 ($ MILLIONS) 11
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY MARKETS BY END USER INDUSTRY 11
TABLE 5 SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY PRODUCT BREAKDOWN BY END-USER
INDUSTRY, 2010–2016 ($ MILLIONS) 12
MARKET PLAYERS 13
TABLE 6 ESTIMATED SYNTHETIC GENE COMPANY MARKET SHARES, 2010 ($
MILLIONS) 14
MARKET SEGMENTS 15
TABLE 7 GLOBAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT MARKET BY PRODUCT
TYPE, THROUGH 2016 ($ MILLIONS) 16
TABLE 8 GLOBAL BIOLOGIC COMPONENT MARKET BY INDUSTRY, THROUGH
2016 ($ MILLIONS) 16
TABLE 9 GLOBAL SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ENABLED BIOFUELS MARKET BY
FUEL TYPE, THROUGH 2016 ($ MILLIONS) 17
ACQUISITIONS 17
TABLE 10 INDUSTRY ACQUISITIONS AND THEIR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES,
2010-2012 18
CHAPTER 4 PATENTS 20
TABLE 11 INDUSTRY PATENTS BY COMPANY 21
FIGURE 1 PATENTS BY INDUSTRY, COMPANY AND SUBCLASS 22
CHAPTER 5 SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY COMPANY PROFILES 24
AMYRIS BIOTECHNOLOGIES INC. 24
TABLE 12 AMYRIS BIODIESEL ADVANTAGES 25
OTHER FARNESENE-DERIVED PRODUCTS 26
KEY MANAGEMENT 26
BRITISH PETROLEUM 27
MANAGEMENT 28
British Petroleum 28
British Petroleum Biofuels 28
DNA2.0 INC. 29
KEY DNA2.0 PATENTS 30
PARTNERS 30
MANAGEMENT 31
E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY 31
FIGURE 2 MAKING CELLULOSIC ETHANOL 34
MANAGEMENT 34
DuPont 34
DuPont Industrial Biosciences 34
LIFE TECHNOLOGIES INC. 34
FIGURE 3 LIFE TECHNOLOGIES FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT 35
LIFE TECHNOLOGIES BRANDS 38
MANAGEMENT 39
NOVOZYMES A/S 39
MANAGEMENT 41
ORIGENE TECHNOLOGIES 41
MANAGEMENT 42
PFIZER 42
LEADERSHIP 43
SCARAB GENOMICS LLC 44
FIGURE 4 GENES REMOVED FROM CLEAN GENOMIC STRAINS OF E. COLI 44
MANAGEMENT 45
SYNTHETIC GENOMICS INC. 45
TABLE 13 SYNTHETIC GENOMICS STRATEGIC ALLIANCES 46
MANAGEMENT 48
CHAPTER 6 SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY COMPANY PROFILES 50
EVOLVA SA 50
EVOLVA'S GENETIC CHEMISTRY PLATFORM STEP DISCRIPTION 50
TABLE 14 EVOLVA STRATEGIC ALLIANCES 51
TABLE 15 EVOLVA PRODUCT PIPELINE 52
MANAGEMENT 53
GINKGO BIOWORKS 53
MANAGEMENT 54
ROCHE LIFE SCIENCES 54
MANAGEMENT 55
SOLAZYME INC. 55
TABLE 16 SOLAZYME STRATEGIC ALLIANCES 56
MANAGEMENT 57
SYNPROMICS LTD. 57
MANAGEMENT 58
TABLE 17 SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY TOP 10 COMPANIES 58
TABLE 18 UPCOMING SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY COMPANY PROFILES 59

LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1 FORCES DRIVING THE GROWTH OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 7
TABLE 2 LIFECYCLE STAGES IN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 8
TABLE 3 GLOBAL SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ENABLING PRODUCT MARKET BY
TYPE, THROUGH 2016 ($ MILLIONS) 11
TABLE 4 GLOBAL SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ENABLING PRODUCT MARKET BY
INDUSTRY, THROUGH 2016 ($ MILLIONS) 11
TABLE 5 SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY PRODUCT BREAKDOWN BY END-USER
INDUSTRY, 2010–2016 ($ MILLIONS) 12
TABLE 6 ESTIMATED SYNTHETIC GENE COMPANY MARKET SHARES, 2010 ($
MILLIONS) 14
TABLE 7 GLOBAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT MARKET BY PRODUCT TYPE,
THROUGH 2016 ($ MILLIONS) 16
TABLE 8 GLOBAL BIOLOGIC COMPONENT MARKET BY INDUSTRY, THROUGH
2016 ($ MILLIONS) 16
TABLE 9 GLOBAL SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ENABLED BIOFUELS MARKET BY FUEL
TYPE, THROUGH 2016 ($ MILLIONS) 17
TABLE 10 INDUSTRY ACQUISITIONS AND THEIR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES,
2010-2012 18
TABLE 11 INDUSTRY PATENTS BY COMPANY 21
TABLE 12 AMYRIS BIODIESEL ADVANTAGES 25
TABLE 13 SYNTHETIC GENOMICS STRATEGIC ALLIANCES 46
TABLE 14 EVOLVA STRATEGIC ALLIANCES 51
TABLE 15 EVOLVA PRODUCT PIPELINE 52
TABLE 16 SOLAZYME STRATEGIC ALLIANCES 56
TABLE 17 SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY TOP 10 COMPANIES 58
TABLE 18 UPCOMING SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY COMPANY PROFILES 59

LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1 PATENTS BY INDUSTRY, COMPANY AND SUBCLASS 22
FIGURE 2 MAKING CELLULOSIC ETHANOL 34
FIGURE 3 LIFE TECHNOLOGIES FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT 35
FIGURE 4 GENES REMOVED FROM CLEAN GENOMIC STRAINS OF E. COLI 44