Cannabinoid biosynthesis is a fast-growing market, with industries like pharmaceutical and food & beverage extremely interested. So far, the majority of host organisms used for synthesizing cannabinoids have been bacteria or fungi; however, a recent patent (US Pat. 10,704,066) was issued for using microalgal hosts in the genus Prototheca. 

Prototheca is a parasitic microalgae that causes protothecosis in animals including humans. The prototheca cells are engineered to produce cannabinoid synthases to then metabolize cannabinoids with. For more information on cannabinoid biosynthesis, check out this blog published by Magic Number.

Patent ‘066 is assigned to California-based Purissima Inc., a natural ingredients company deriving plant-based products from engineered biological microorganisms to produce in mass scale. For a closer look at the cannabinoid biosynthesis IP landscape, subscribe to the Magic Number Cannabis Patent Forecast®.