Novus International Inc., and Ginkgo Bioworks, which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, have announced a partnership to develop advanced feed additives designed to meet the evolving needs of the animal agriculture industry. NOVUS will utilize Ginkgo Enzyme Services to build more efficient enzymes that can be produced cost-effectively.

With the agricultural sector facing heightened volatility, including rising feed costs and tightening margins, NOVUS is committed to supporting its customers by optimizing the health and performance of livestock. The partnership aims to bring cutting-edge technologies to market, enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of animal production systems. These innovations are intended to improve the overall well-being of chickens, pigs, and cows, thereby supporting producers in delivering nutritious and affordable animal products to consumers.

“With the challenges and volatility facing the agriculture industry, a multifactorial approach is needed for producers to meet their financial goals and end customers to continue to enjoy nutritious and affordable meat, milk, and eggs,” said Abishek Shingote, NOVUS associate vice president of Global Strategic Marketing, Technology and Innovation. “This multifactorial approach requires advanced technologies combined with application knowledge. The partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks puts NOVUS on the path to create new technologies that support health and performance consistency in chickens, pigs, and cows.”

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Shingote said the products NOVUS and Ginkgo Bioworks are working to develop came out of conversations with NOVUS customers and deep analysis of industry needs.

“Innovation is at the heart of NOVUS. Sustaining thriving livestock is a challenge, especially against economic, environmental and regulatory headwinds,” Shingote said. “We make it our mission to find new and novel ways to support our stakeholders and the industry.”

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.

“Partnering with NOVUS presents an exciting opportunity to apply Ginkgo’s enzyme development services in a very important domain,” said Dan Rosmarin, vice president of Commercial at Ginkgo Bioworks. “Together, we can accelerate the development of innovative products that offer tangible benefits to the animal agriculture industry, with the potential to enhance both productivity and sustainability. This partnership will leverage Ginkgo’s research innovation platform combined with NOVUS’ animal feed application knowledge, putting us on the path to create innovative technologies that meet the evolving needs of the livestock industry.”

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