


Breakthrough Energy Ventures Leads $25 million Series A for Viridos’ Revolutionary and Sustainable Algae Biofuels
LA JOLLA, Calif. (March 13, 2023) – Viridos, a privately held biotech company decarbonizing heavy transportation with algae biofuel, announced today that it has closed a $ 25M Series A round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, joined by Chevron U.S.A. and United Airlines Ventures. This Series A financing will allow Viridos to further advance algae oil productivities toward the goal of commercial deployment of the technology.
Viridos Awarded a California Competes Grant, Bringing Investment of Nearly $75 million to Imperial Valley
LA JOLLA, Calif. (April 28, 2022) – Viridos, a privately held biotechnology company harnessing the power of photosynthesis to mitigate climate change, has been awarded the prestigious California Competes Grant by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-BIZ). In total, the grant will allow Viridos to create more than 70 high-paying professional jobs and will bring nearly $75 million in investment to the Imperial Valley.
California Awards Viridos a CalCompetes Grant to Expand its Imperial Valley Operations
Sacramento, CA (April 21, 2022) – Today the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced $120 million in California Competes (CalCompetes) grant awards that are projected to create more than 7,615 new, full-time jobs in California and bring over $3.3 billion in new investments to the state over the next 5 years.
Synthetic Genomics to Change Corporate Name to Viridos Today
SAN DIEGO, CA (September 27, 2021) – Synthetic Genomics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, announced that it will begin operating under its new corporate name, Viridos, Inc., effective today.
At Viridos, we believe in the power of peer-reviewed research. While our focus has changed, the seriousness with which we take our science has not.
Universal Amplicon Sequencing of North Imperial Valley Wetlands Microbiomes
Becker, S., Graham, E., Sager, L., Spreafico, R., McCarren, J. bioRxiv 2022.09.29.509762
High-throughput selection of cells based on accumulated growth and division using PicoShell Particles
van Zee M., de Rutte J., Rumyan R., Williamson C, Burnes T., Radakovits R., Eugenio A. S., Badih S., Lee D-H., Archang M., Di Carlo D. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2022.
Phased Diploid Genome Sequence for the Fast-Growing Microalga Picochlorum celeri
Becker, S A., Spreafico R. Kit, J. L. Brown, R., Likhogrud, M., Fang W, Posewitz, M. C. Joseph C. Weissman, Radakovits R.. Microbial Resource Announc. 2020.
The mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes of the green alga Haematococcus are made up of nearly identical repetitive sequences.
Zhang X, Bauman N, Brown R, Richardson TH, Akella S, Hann E, Morey R, Smith DR. Curr Biol. 2019
Unrestrained markerless trait stacking in Nannochloropsis gaditana through combined genome editing and marker recycling technologies.
Verruto, J.; Francis, K.; Wang, Y.; Low, M. C.; Greiner, J.; Tacke, S.; Kuzminov, F.; Lambert, W.; McCarren, J.; Ajjawi, I.; Bauman, N.; Kalb, R.; Hannum, G.; Moellering, E. R. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2018
Next-Generation Sequencing of Haematococcus lacustris Reveals an Extremely Large 1.35-Megabase Chloroplast Genome.
Bauman N., Akella S., Hann E., Morey R., Schwartz A.S., Brown R., Richardson T. Genome Announc. 2018.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Model Oleaginous Alga Nannochloropsis gaditana CCMP1894
Schwartz, A. S., Brown, R., Ajjawi, I., McCarren, J., Atilla, S., Bauman, N., Richarson, T. Genome Announc. 2018
Cloning, Assembly, and Modification of the Primary Human Cytomegalovirus Isolate Toledo by Yeast-Based Transformation-Associated Recombination.
Vashee S; Stockwell TB; Alperovich N; Denisova E.A.; Gibson DG; Cady KC; Miller K; Kannan K; Malouli D; Crawford LB; Voorhies AA; Bruening E; Caposio P and Fruh K. 2017 mSphere 2(5), e00331-17.
Cell-free production of a functional oligomeric form of a Chlamydia major outer-membrane protein (MOMP) for vaccine development.
He W; Felderman M; Evans AC; Geng J; Homan D; Bourguet F; Fischer NO; Li Y; Lam KS; Noy A; Xing L; Cheng HR; Rasley A; Blanchette CD; Kamrud K; Wang N; Gouvis H; Peterson TC; Hubby B and Coleman MA. 2017 Journal of Biological Chemistry 292(36), 15121-15132.
Correlation between phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility and the resistome in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Jaillard M; van Belkum A; Cady KC; Creely D; Shortridge D; Blanc B; Barbu EM; Dunne W M Jr; Zambardi G; Enright M; Mugnier N; Le Priol C; Schicklin S; Guigon G and Veyrieras JB. 2017 International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 50(2), 210-218.
Lipid production in Nannochloropsis gaditana is doubled by decreasing expression of a single transcriptional regulator.
Ajjawi, I.; Verruto, J.; Aqui, M.; Soriaga, L. B.; Coppersmith, J.; Kwok, K.; Peach, L.; Orchard, E.; Kalb, R.; Xu, W.; Carlson, T. J.; Francis, K.; Konigsfeld, K.; Bartalis, J.; Schultz, A.; Lambert, W.; Schwartz, A. S.; Brown, R.; Moellering, E. R. Nat Biotech 2017.
Digital-to-biological converter for on-demand production of biologics.
Boles KS; Kannan K; Gill J; Felderman M; Gouvis H; Hubby B; Kamrud KI; Venter JC and Gibson DG. 2017 Nature Biotechnology 35(7), 672-675.
Domestication and divergence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae beer yeasts.
Gallone B, Steensels J, Prahl T, Soriaga L, Saels V, Herrera-Malaver B, Merlevede A, Roncoroni M, Voordeckers K, Miraglia L, Teiling C, Steffy B, Taylor M, Schwartz A, Richardson TH, White C, Baele G, Maere S, and Verstrepen K. 2016 Cell 166, 1397-1410.
Vibrio natriegens as a fast-growing host for molecular biology.
Weinstock, Matthew T.; Hesek, Eric D.; Wilson, Christopher M.; Gibson, Daniel G. 2016 Nature Methods 13(10), 849-851.
Design and synthesis of a minimal bacterial genome.
Hutchison CA 3rd; Chuang R-Y; Noskov VN; Assad-Garcia N; Deerinck TJ; Ellisman MH; Gill J; Kannan K; Karas BJ; Ma L; Pelletier JF; Qi Z-Q; Richter AR; Strychalski EA; Sun L; Suzuki Y; Wise KS; Smith HO; Glass J.L.; Merryman C; Gibson DG and
Venter JC. 2016 Science 351(6280), aad6253.
DNA assembly and cloning in an overnight run with the BioXp 3200 system.
Alvarez CH. 2015 Nature Methods 12(12), v-vi.
DNA library construction using Gibson Assembly.
Thomas S; Maynard ND.; Gill J. 2015 Nature Methods 12(11), i-ii.
Azotobacter Genomes: The Genome of Azotobacter chroococcum NCIMB 8003 (ATCC 4412)
Robson RL; Jones R; Robson M; Schwartz A; Richardson TH 2015 PloS one 10(6), e0127997.
Bacterial genome reduction using the progressive clustering of deletions via yeast sexual cycling.
Suzuki Y; Assad-Garcia N; Kostylev M; Noskov VN; Wise KS; Karas BJ; Stam J; Montague MG; Hanly TJ; Enriquez NJ, Ramon A; Goldgof GM; Richter RA; Vashee S; Chuang R-Y; Winzeler EA; Hutchison CA 3rd; Gibson DG; Smith HO; Glass J.I. and Venter JC. 2015 Genome Research 25(3): 435-44.
Construction of a yeast chromosome.
Gibson DG and Venter JC. 2014 Nature 509(7499), 168-169.
Programming biological operating systems: genome design, assembly and activation.
Gibson DG. 2014. Nature Methods 11(5), 521-6.
Rapidly produced SAM(®) vaccine against H7N9 influenza is immunogenic in mice.
Hekele A; Bertholet S; Archer J; Gibson DG; Palladino G; Brito LA; Otten GR; Brazzoli, M; Buccato S; Bonci A; Casini D; Maione D; Qi Z-Q; Gill JE; Caiazza NC; Urano J; Hubby B; Gao GF; Shu Y; Gregorio ED; Mandl CW; Mason PW; Settembre EC; Ulmer JB; Venter JC; Dormitzer PR; Rappuoli R and Geall, AJ. 2013 Emerging Microbes & Infections 2(8), e52.
Synthetic generation of influenza vaccine viruses for rapid response to pandemics.
Dormitzer PR; Suphaphiphat P; Gibson DG; Wentworth DE; Stockwell TB; Algire MA; Alperovich N; Barro M; Brown DM; Craig S; Dattilo BM; Denisova E.A.; Souza IDe; Eickmann M; Dugan VG; Ferrari A; Gomila RC; Han L; Judge C; Mane S; Matrosovich M; Merryman C; Palladino G; Palmer GA; Spencer T; Strecker T; Trusheim H; Uhlendorff J; Wen Y; Yee AC; Zaveri J; Zhou B; Becker S; Donabedian A; Mason PW; Glass J.I.; Rappuoli R and Venter JC 2013 Sci Transl Med 5(185), 185ra168.
Environmental Performance of Algal Biofuel Technology Options
Venkatesh Vasudevan, Russell W. Stratton, Matthew N. Pearlson, Gilbert R. Jersey, Abraham G. Beyene, Joseph C. Weissman, Michele Rubino, and James I. Hileman. Environmental Science & Technology. 2012.
Creation of a bacterial cell controlled by a chemically synthesized genome.
Gibson DG; Glass J.I.; Latigue C; Noskov VN; Chuang RY; Algire MA; Benders GA; Montague MG; Ma L; Moodie MM; Merryman C; Vashee S; Krishnakumar R; Assad-Garcia N; Andrews-Pfannkoch C; Denisova E.A.; Young L; Qi Z.Q.; Segall-Shapiro TH; Calvey CH; Parmer PP; Hutchison CA 3rd; Smith HO and Venter JC. 2010 Science 329(5987) 52-56.
Creating bacterial strains from genomes that have been cloned and engineered in yeast.
Lartigue C; Vashee S; Algire MA; Chuang R-Y; Benders GA; Ma L; Noskov VN; Denisova A; Gibson DG; Assad-Garcia N; Alperovich N; Thomas DW; Merryman C; Hutchison CA 3rd; Smith HO; Venter JC and Glass J.I. 2009 Science 325(5948), 1693-1696.
Enzymatic assembly of DNA molecules up to several hundred kilobases.
Gibson DG; Young Li; Chuang R-Y; Venter JC; Hutchison CA 3rd and Smith HO. 2009 Nature Methods 6, 343-345.
Complete Chemical Synthesis, Assembly, and Cloning of a Mycoplasma genitalium Genome.
Gibson DG; Benders GA; Andrews-Pfannkoch C; Denisova EA.; Baden-Tillson, H; Zaveri, J; Stockwell TB.; Brownley A; Thomas DW; Algire MA; Merryman C; Young L; Noskov VN; Glass J.I.; Venter JC; Hutchison CA III and Smith HO. 2008 Science 319(5867), 1215-1220.
Genome transplantation in bacteria: changing one species to another.
Lartigue, C; Glass JI.; Alperovich N; Pieper R; Parmar PP.; Hutchison CA, III; Smith H.O and Venter J.C. 2007 Science 317(5838), 632-638.
Viridos Awarded a California Competes Grant, Bringing Investment of Nearly $75MM to Imperial Valley
LA JOLLA, Calif. (April 28, 2022) – Viridos, a privately held biotechnology company harnessing the power of photosynthesis to mitigate climate change, has been awarded the prestigious California Competes Grant by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-BIZ). In total, the grant will allow Viridos to create more than 70 high-paying professional jobs and will bring nearly $75 million in investment to the Imperial Valley.
California Awards Viridos a CalCompetes Grant to Expand its Imperial Valley Operations
Sacramento, CA – Today, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced $120 million in California Competes (CalCompetes) grant awards that are projected to create more than 7,615 new, full-time jobs in California and bring over $3.3 billion in new investments to the state over the next 5 years.
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Synthetic Genomics to Change Corporate Name to Viridos Today
SAN DIEGO, CA (September 27, 2021) – Synthetic Genomics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, announced that it will begin operating under its new corporate name, Viridos, Inc., effective today.
At Viridos, we believe in the power of peer-reviewed research. While our focus has changed, the seriousness with which we take our science has not.
Universal Amplicon sequencing of North Imperial Valley Wetlands Microbiomes
Becker, S A., Graham, E., Sager, L., Spreafico R., McCarren, J.
High-throughput selection of microalgae based on accumulated growth and division using PicoShell Particles
van Zee, M. de Rutte J., Rumyan R., Williamson C., Burnes T., Radakovits R., Eugenio A. S, Badih S., Lee D-H., Archang M., Di Carlo D. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2022.
Phased Diploid Genome Sequence for the Fast-Growing Microalga Picochlorum celeri
Becker, S A., Spreafico R. Kit, J. L. Brown, R., Likhogrud, M., Fang W, Posewitz, M. C. Joseph C. Weissman, Radakovits R.. Microbial Resource Announc. 2020.
The mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes of the green alga Haematococcus are made up of nearly identical repetitive sequences.
Zhang X, Bauman N, Brown R, Richardson TH, Akella S, Hann E, Morey R, Smith DR. Curr Biol. 2019
Unrestrained markerless trait stacking in Nannochloropsis gaditana through combined genome editing and marker recycling technologies.
Verruto, J.; Francis, K.; Wang, Y.; Low, M. C.; Greiner, J.; Tacke, S.; Kuzminov, F.; Lambert, W.; McCarren, J.; Ajjawi, I.; Bauman, N.; Kalb, R.; Hannum, G.; Moellering, E. R. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2018
Next-Generation Sequencing of Haematococcus lacustris Reveals an Extremely Large 1.35-Megabase Chloroplast Genome.
Bauman N., Akella S., Hann E., Morey R., Schwartz A.S., Brown R., Richardson T. Genome Announc. 2018.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Model Oleaginous Alga Nannochloropsis gaditana CCMP1894
Schwartz, A. S., Brown, R., Ajjawi, I., McCarren, J., Atilla, S., Bauman, N., Richarson, T. Genome Announc. 2018
Cloning, Assembly, and Modification of the Primary Human Cytomegalovirus Isolate Toledo by Yeast-Based Transformation-Associated Recombination.
Vashee S; Stockwell TB; Alperovich N; Denisova E.A.; Gibson DG; Cady KC; Miller K; Kannan K; Malouli D; Crawford LB; Voorhies AA; Bruening E; Caposio P and Fruh K. 2017 mSphere 2(5), e00331-17.
Cell-free production of a functional oligomeric form of a Chlamydia major outer-membrane protein (MOMP) for vaccine development.
He W; Felderman M; Evans AC; Geng J; Homan D; Bourguet F; Fischer NO; Li Y; Lam KS; Noy A; Xing L; Cheng HR; Rasley A; Blanchette CD; Kamrud K; Wang N; Gouvis H; Peterson TC; Hubby B and Coleman MA. 2017 Journal of Biological Chemistry 292(36), 15121-15132.
Correlation between phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility and the resistome in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Jaillard M; van Belkum A; Cady KC; Creely D; Shortridge D; Blanc B; Barbu EM; Dunne W M Jr; Zambardi G; Enright M; Mugnier N; Le Priol C; Schicklin S; Guigon G and Veyrieras JB. 2017 International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 50(2), 210-218.
Lipid production in Nannochloropsis gaditana is doubled by decreasing expression of a single transcriptional regulator.
Ajjawi, I.; Verruto, J.; Aqui, M.; Soriaga, L. B.; Coppersmith, J.; Kwok, K.; Peach, L.; Orchard, E.; Kalb, R.; Xu, W.; Carlson, T. J.; Francis, K.; Konigsfeld, K.; Bartalis, J.; Schultz, A.; Lambert, W.; Schwartz, A. S.; Brown, R.; Moellering, E. R. Nat Biotech 2017.
Digital-to-biological converter for on-demand production of biologics.
Boles KS; Kannan K; Gill J; Felderman M; Gouvis H; Hubby B; Kamrud KI; Venter JC and Gibson DG. 2017 Nature Biotechnology 35(7), 672-675.
Domestication and divergence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae beer yeasts.
Gallone B, Steensels J, Prahl T, Soriaga L, Saels V, Herrera-Malaver B, Merlevede A, Roncoroni M, Voordeckers K, Miraglia L, Teiling C, Steffy B, Taylor M, Schwartz A, Richardson TH, White C, Baele G, Maere S, and Verstrepen K. 2016 Cell 166, 1397-1410.
Vibrio natriegens as a fast-growing host for molecular biology.
Weinstock, Matthew T.; Hesek, Eric D.; Wilson, Christopher M.; Gibson, Daniel G. 2016 Nature Methods 13(10), 849-851.
Design and synthesis of a minimal bacterial genome.
Hutchison CA 3rd; Chuang R-Y; Noskov VN; Assad-Garcia N; Deerinck TJ; Ellisman MH; Gill J; Kannan K; Karas BJ; Ma L; Pelletier JF; Qi Z-Q; Richter AR; Strychalski EA; Sun L; Suzuki Y; Wise KS; Smith HO; Glass J.L.; Merryman C; Gibson DG and
Venter JC. 2016 Science 351(6280), aad6253.
DNA assembly and cloning in an overnight run with the BioXp 3200 system.
Alvarez CH. 2015 Nature Methods 12(12), v-vi.
DNA library construction using Gibson Assembly.
Thomas S; Maynard ND.; Gill J. 2015 Nature Methods 12(11), i-ii.
Azotobacter Genomes: The Genome of Azotobacter chroococcum NCIMB 8003 (ATCC 4412)
Robson RL; Jones R; Robson M; Schwartz A; Richardson TH 2015 PloS one 10(6), e0127997.
Bacterial genome reduction using the progressive clustering of deletions via yeast sexual cycling.
Suzuki Y; Assad-Garcia N; Kostylev M; Noskov VN; Wise KS; Karas BJ; Stam J; Montague MG; Hanly TJ; Enriquez NJ, Ramon A; Goldgof GM; Richter RA; Vashee S; Chuang R-Y; Winzeler EA; Hutchison CA 3rd; Gibson DG; Smith HO; Glass J.I. and Venter JC. 2015 Genome Research 25(3): 435-44.
Construction of a yeast chromosome.
Gibson DG and Venter JC. 2014 Nature 509(7499), 168-169.
Programming biological operating systems: genome design, assembly and activation.
Gibson DG. 2014. Nature Methods 11(5), 521-6.
Rapidly produced SAM(®) vaccine against H7N9 influenza is immunogenic in mice.
Hekele A; Bertholet S; Archer J; Gibson DG; Palladino G; Brito LA; Otten GR; Brazzoli, M; Buccato S; Bonci A; Casini D; Maione D; Qi Z-Q; Gill JE; Caiazza NC; Urano J; Hubby B; Gao GF; Shu Y; Gregorio ED; Mandl CW; Mason PW; Settembre EC; Ulmer JB; Venter JC; Dormitzer PR; Rappuoli R and Geall, AJ. 2013 Emerging Microbes & Infections 2(8), e52.
Synthetic generation of influenza vaccine viruses for rapid response to pandemics.
Dormitzer PR; Suphaphiphat P; Gibson DG; Wentworth DE; Stockwell TB; Algire MA; Alperovich N; Barro M; Brown DM; Craig S; Dattilo BM; Denisova E.A.; Souza IDe; Eickmann M; Dugan VG; Ferrari A; Gomila RC; Han L; Judge C; Mane S; Matrosovich M; Merryman C; Palladino G; Palmer GA; Spencer T; Strecker T; Trusheim H; Uhlendorff J; Wen Y; Yee AC; Zaveri J; Zhou B; Becker S; Donabedian A; Mason PW; Glass J.I.; Rappuoli R and Venter JC 2013 Sci Transl Med 5(185), 185ra168.
Environmental Performance of Algal Biofuel Technology Options
Vankatesh Vasudevan, Russel W. Stratton, Matthew N. Pearlson, Gilbert R. Jersey, Abraham G. Beyene, Joseph C. Weissman, Michele Rubino, and James I. Hileman. Environmental Science & Technology. 2012.
Creation of a bacterial cell controlled by a chemically synthesized genome.
Gibson DG; Glass J.I.; Latigue C; Noskov VN; Chuang RY; Algire MA; Benders GA; Montague MG; Ma L; Moodie MM; Merryman C; Vashee S; Krishnakumar R; Assad-Garcia N; Andrews-Pfannkoch C; Denisova E.A.; Young L; Qi Z.Q.; Segall-Shapiro TH; Calvey CH; Parmer PP; Hutchison CA 3rd; Smith HO and Venter JC. 2010 Science 329(5987) 52-56.
Creating bacterial strains from genomes that have been cloned and engineered in yeast.
Lartigue C; Vashee S; Algire MA; Chuang R-Y; Benders GA; Ma L; Noskov VN; Denisova A; Gibson DG; Assad-Garcia N; Alperovich N; Thomas DW; Merryman C; Hutchison CA 3rd; Smith HO; Venter JC and Glass J.I. 2009 Science 325(5948), 1693-1696.
Enzymatic assembly of DNA molecules up to several hundred kilobases.
Gibson DG; Young Li; Chuang R-Y; Venter JC; Hutchison CA 3rd and Smith HO. 2009 Nature Methods 6, 343-345.
Complete Chemical Synthesis, Assembly, and Cloning of a Mycoplasma genitalium Genome.
Gibson DG; Benders GA; Andrews-Pfannkoch C; Denisova EA.; Baden-Tillson, H; Zaveri, J; Stockwell TB.; Brownley A; Thomas DW; Algire MA; Merryman C; Young L; Noskov VN; Glass J.I.; Venter JC; Hutchison CA III and Smith HO. 2008 Science 319(5867), 1215-1220.
Genome transplantation in bacteria: changing one species to another.
Lartigue, C; Glass JI.; Alperovich N; Pieper R; Parmar PP.; Hutchison CA, III; Smith H.O and Venter J.C. 2007 Science 317(5838), 632-638