Synthetic Biology (non-pharma)

Verbio SE outlined its next development phase at its Capital Markets Day in Bitterfeld, marking the commissioning of a new ethenolysis plant for bio-based speciality chemicals as a milestone in the expansion of its renewable-molecule production platform and biorefineries. After years of high investment, the company said its focus is now increasingly on utilizing the capacity it has created, optimizing existing production plants and increasing earnings and cash flow. The event covered the market and competitive positioning of Verbio's existing business divisions, the further development of its business base in the USA, and the commercial ramp-up of its new chemical products. Verbio pointed to the resurgence of biomass as a raw material revitalizing the biofuels market while opening new value-creation opportunities beyond it, including expanded trading activities and additional revenue potential from the utilization and storage of biogenic CO2. Chief Executive Officer Claus Sauter said Verbio has developed over two decades from a biofuel producer into an integrated platform for a wide range of renewable molecules, with the company's twentieth flotation anniversary days away, and that it will now harness that platform's potential to generate value, cash flow and long-term returns for shareholders. Verbio also reaffirmed its commitment to disciplined capital use and a balanced approach between profitable growth, financial stability and sustainable value creation.

Chalush Chinthammit, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Khon Kaen Sugar Industry Public Company Limited, or KSL, said global sugar prices are starting to improve, edging up to around 18 to 19 cents per pound amid a still-tight balance between production and consumption. For the 2026/27 crushing season, which is expected to begin in mid-December 2026, the company forecasts the nationwide sugarcane crush at approximately 85 million tonnes, up from around 80 million tonnes in the previous season, which will allow mills to operate at fuller capacity, lift utilisation rates and reduce unit production costs. KSL's main export markets remain in Asia, namely Indonesia, China, Taiwan and South Korea, while the company is exploring opportunities to expand into new markets, particularly Africa. Beyond sugar, KSL holds a 30% stake in BBGI Public Company Limited, or BBGI, which operates in biofuels and high-value bio-based products, as well as the development of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, to create a new S-Curve for the business over the long term.

Uniper agreed to purchase future sustainable aviation fuel from Syzygy Plasmonics' NovaSAF platform under a new supply deal. The NovaSAF agreement is intended to expand Uniper's low-carbon fuel offering for aviation clients under tightening European sustainability rules, adding exposure to renewable and bio-based fuels as policy and airline demand for cleaner jet fuel continues to build. Uniper operates an energy portfolio across Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the rest of Europe, and other regions, so securing access to sustainable aviation fuel connects a low carbon product directly into markets where regulators and airlines are tightening standards on jet fuel emissions. The key proof point for investors is progress on Syzygy's NovaSAF facilities, especially the Uruguay plant expected around 2028, with Uniper expected to disclose contracted SAF volumes, pricing structures and contribution to its low carbon segment once production plans are clarified and the project reaches final investment decision. The deal does not change analyst expectations, which point to pressure on Uniper's revenue and margins over the next few years, but it shows the business leaning into greener commodities that could support more stable profitability over time.

Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Department of Tourism, the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration, the Thai Hotels Association, and the Thai Restaurant Association, signed a memorandum of cooperation on the management of used cooking oil to serve as feedstock for the production of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, through the Fry to Fly project. The project promotes the systematic collection of used oil from hotel and restaurant businesses, alongside a campaign against reusing frying oil. The signing ceremony was held on 5 October 2026 at the Phonbodi Meeting Room of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The signatories were Mrs. Gloyta Nathalang, Senior Executive Vice President of the Sustainability Management and Corporate Communications Group at Bangchak; Miss Woratheera Suwannasorn, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Tourism; Mr. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Director of the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration; Mr. Udom Srimahachota, Vice President and Chairman of the Environment Committee of the Thai Hotels Association; and Mrs. Thaniwan Kulmongkol, President of the Thai Restaurant Association. Miss Natthriya Thaweevong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, served as honorary witness. Miss Natthriya said that sustainable tourism requires cooperation across the entire chain, from travel, accommodation, and food to resource and environmental management, and that this project links hotels and restaurants to the aviation sector. Mrs. Gloyta said that sustainable aviation requires cooperation beyond the airport, and that the Bangchak group has more than two decades of experience in using used cooking oil to produce biofuels, starting with biodiesel for vehicles and extending to SAF production using the HEFA-SPK process in line with international standards. Mr. Siripakorn said the cooperation aims to support sustainable tourism in three areas: health and safety, the environment and low-carbon tourism, and the circular economy, which generates supplementary income for communities by allowing them to exchange or sell used oil instead of simply discarding it.

DBS Vickers Securities Thailand said in an analysis that the Thai government is considering cutting excise taxes on biofuels to lower fuel prices and spur consumption. Currently, the excise tax on gasohol stands at 6.00 baht per litre and on biodiesel at 5.953 to 6.92 baht per litre. Raising the share of biofuels in use would help cut crude oil imports and ease the government's burden of subsidising fuel prices, with the Oil Fund now running a loss of about 100 billion baht. With demand for ethanol and biodiesel expected to rise, DBS Vickers has named 11 Thai stocks set to benefit, divided into three groups by business type. The first group is direct producers and distributors of biofuels, namely BBGI, EA, UBE, GGC and TAE. The second group is integrated palm oil producers linked to biodiesel, namely PCE, SMO, APO and VPO. The third group is sugar producers linked to ethanol, namely KSL, KTIS and BRR.

The Cabinet meeting approved the plan to handle fuel crises and the Fuel Fund Strategic Plan 2026–2029 on 22 September 2026, as proposed by the Ministry of Energy, in order to cope with the prolonged global energy crisis and to rely as much as possible on domestic energy sources. Mr. Pongpol Yodmuangcharoen, spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy, disclosed that the conflict situation in the Middle East and unrest along key maritime transport routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and strategic straits in the Red Sea have significantly reduced oil supply and affected net energy importing countries such as Thailand. The Ministry of Energy has therefore revised all energy planning assumptions, assessing that oil prices will not return to pre-war levels because infrastructure and many energy sources have been damaged and will take a long time to recover. The new strategic plan covers improving guidelines for stabilizing oil price levels, separating the fund's accounts between the oil and LPG groups, setting a framework for the price gap between gasoline and diesel, criteria for collecting contributions and compensation during crises, as well as liquidity management and borrowing to strengthen the fund. A key point is the review of the biofuel subsidy policy. From previously having a temporary provision canceling the subsidy, the government has returned to promoting and subsidizing it again, in order to reduce dependence on imported crude oil from the highly volatile global market and to build long-term energy security from domestic agricultural output.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories announced on September 29 that its first commercial order of recombinant spider silk yarn had shipped to a globally recognized performance sports brand, processed to the customer's specifications for a confidential pilot development program. The company's engineered silkworms, Bombyx mori, carry introduced spider-silk protein genes and spin the resulting composite fiber as they form cocoons. In its October 5 update, Kraig reported that all three of its production centers in Vietnam were running on staggered schedules, with the current cycle focused on parental breeding lines that supply hybrid eggs for subsequent silk production, and that silk production grew more than 30% through the rainy season. On September 24, 2026, the company announced that every planned Project Atlas transgene had been integrated into living commercial silkworm hosts, with the next stage establishing stable breeding lines and evaluating more than 200 potential genetic pairing configurations. Kraig's founder and CEO, Kim Thompson, said the company is no longer producing to demonstrate and confirm scale, and that production is now focused on addressing the commercial market opportunities for spider silk.

Bualuang Securities said that BCP's sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant, the first in Thailand, began operating in May 2026 with a production capacity of 7,000 barrels per day, or 1 million liters per day, and can switch production between SAF and renewable diesel. The main feedstock is used cooking oil, about 40% of which comes from domestic sources and 60% is imported, while the company has long-term feedstock supply contracts with major food and retail operators in Thailand. SAF demand is being driven by increasingly stringent fuel blending mandates worldwide, with the EU starting at 2% in 2025 and rising to 6% in 2030, while Thailand begins with a 1% target in 2026 before increasing to 1-2% in 2027-29 and 3-5% in 2030-32. Global SAF demand is expected to rise from 3.6 billion liters in 2026 to 4.5 billion liters in 2027, although rising supply may pressure margins somewhat going forward. The business's highlight is its profitability, with the SAF spread rising from about 1,000 US dollars per ton in 2025 to roughly 1,300 US dollars per ton in 2026 year-to-date, or about 3 times the spread of conventional jet fuel. The plant generated EBITDA of about 1 billion baht in the second quarter of 2026, and SAF EBITDA is expected at 4 billion baht in 2026 and 6 billion baht in 2027. Even in a worst case where the margin falls to 800 US dollars per ton, it would still be about 2 times the spread of conventional jet fuel and generate 2027 EBITDA of about 4 billion baht. There is also upside from a 43% capacity expansion to 10,000 barrels per day, which is not yet fully reflected in long-term estimates and would be additional upside if the company proceeds with the project. Bualuang Securities maintained its Hold recommendation with a target price of 57 baht and an equal-weight stance on the energy sector. Key issues to watch are the direction of SAF margins as new supply gradually enters the market and clarity on further capacity expansion.

Analysts at several securities firms hold a positive view on Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, or BCP, after its sustainable aviation fuel business, SAF, began contributing significantly to earnings. BCP's SAF plant started commercial operations on 21 May 2026, with an investment of about 8.5 billion baht and a production capacity of roughly 7,000 barrels per day, or about 1 million litres per day. In the second quarter of 2026, its average capacity utilisation rate was approximately 6,800 barrels per day, with product sales of about 39 million litres, generating EBITDA of roughly 1 billion baht for BCP, or nearly 4% of total EBITDA. Asia Plus Securities gives a trading view with a target price of 58 baht. Trinity Securities recommends a speculative buy with a target price of 55 baht. Yuanta Securities Thailand has upgraded its recommendation to buy with a target price of 58 baht, and Land and Houses Securities maintains a buy recommendation with a target price of 56 baht. Over the longer term, BCP plans to raise SAF production capacity from 7,000 barrels per day to about 10,000 barrels per day within five years, largely using existing infrastructure. Meanwhile, demand for SAF looks set to grow on the back of Thailand's plan to push SAF blending, which aims to start at 1% and increase in later phases. However, competition for UCO feedstock still bears watching, as it could put pressure on costs.

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. will consolidate its U.S. plant protein production into a single Centre of Excellence in Indianapolis, winding down its Seattle and Turners Falls plants in phases through the fourth quarter of 2027. The move is part of the company's Fuel for Growth initiative, which aims to simplify its manufacturing footprint, enhance efficiency and support its plant protein brands more competitively. The consolidation update sits alongside Maple Leaf's recent first-quarter 2026 results, which showed CA$962.85 million in sales and CA$46.07 million in net income. Maple Leaf's narrative projects CA$5.6 billion in revenue and CA$467.3 million in earnings by 2028, requiring 4.2% yearly revenue growth and an earnings increase of about CA$372.7 million from CA$94.6 million today. Two fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community span CA$35.90 to CA$83.26, against a CA$35.90 fair value estimate that implies 45% upside to the current price.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul held talks with Wouter van Wersch, Executive Vice President for International Affairs at Airbus, and Bert Porteman, a representative of Airbus Thailand, on ways to upgrade and expand cooperation between Thailand and Airbus in the aviation industry, space technology, human resource development, and clean energy. The Prime Minister affirmed the policy of promoting the aviation industry and future industries, and asked Airbus to consider broadening cooperation to cover more areas by building on the cooperation models the company has with other countries and extending them to Thailand. On clean energy, the Prime Minister proposed that Airbus promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, produced in Thailand, using Thai raw materials and agricultural output as part of the production chain. In addition, Airbus plans to establish a Center of Excellence in Thailand as a hub for developing knowledge, technology, and personnel, linking Airbus's global network to Thailand. The Prime Minister also proposed expanding cooperation in space technology and security, building on existing cooperation with the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, or GISTDA, and Thaicom Public Company Limited, as well as discussing cooperation with Thai Airways International Public Company Limited to support the goal of pushing Thailand to become the region's aviation hub.

Energy Absolute Public Company Limited, or EA, is pushing forward with the commercialisation of Bio-PCM, a bio-based material developed from natural raw materials, particularly palm oil, through Green Technology Research Company Limited, a company within the EA group. Chatchapol Sripratum, Chief Executive Officer of EA, disclosed that EA recently joined with the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness to organise the project "Up the Phase. Upgrade the World: Phase Change Materials to Future World-Changing Innovation," which drew 107 teams, later narrowed to the final 10. The winning entries were "BioTemp 22 (ENP@R17), an innovation controlling temperatures at 20-24°C using Bio-PCM for platelet transport" in the Bio-PCM Frontier Tech category, and "Evi-PCM Block: an innovation locking in temperature to protect environmental evidence" in the Next Gen Visionary category. Currently, EA's Bio-PCM, developed by EA's research team through GTR and granted the first and only patent of its kind in Thailand, is exported to Japan, South Korea, the United States and Europe, totalling about 1,000 tonnes per year, worth more than 100 million baht, with order value continuing to rise.

Mom Luang Pikthong Thongyai, Chief Executive Officer of PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited, or OR, has unveiled a strategy for its non-oil business, saying it is a key profit engine amid volatile oil prices. The company is pressing ahead with expanding Cafe Amazon coffee shops both inside and outside its service stations, focusing on new locations in hospitals and community areas such as temples, and is considering developing a mobile store format. It is also teaming up with partners on collaboration products such as soy sauce to attract younger customers. On progress in its partnership with Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited, or CENTEL, to develop budget hotels within service stations, the company has finalised six pilot locations: Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Phuket, Chonburi and Songkhla. Five are branches inside service stations and one is outside a service station, in the Don Mueang area near the Red Line train station opposite Terminal 2. The hotels are five-storey buildings with about 79 rooms per branch, priced at roughly 800 to 100 baht per night. Construction takes about one year, with a gradual opening in 2027-2028. The project has double-digit returns on investment and profit margins. OR is also the first company to offer sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, at service stations for regional airports, blending Jet A1 fuel with biofuel made from used cooking oil at a ratio of about 1%, priced roughly five times higher than normal Jet A1.

Energy Absolute, or EA, has announced a target to raise sales of its bio-PCM product to 100 million baht within three years. Chatphol Sriprathum, the company's Chief Executive Officer, said that PCM, or Phase Change Material, which is extracted from palm oil, currently generates only modest sales and revenue, with its main markets being Japan and Korea, and that EA is the first and only Thai operator producing and exporting PCM at present. At the same time, the company is pressing ahead with the development of Green Diesel, or HVO, to meet demand for clean energy in overseas markets, and is preparing to expand investment in renewable energy businesses, including wind power plants and waste-to-energy plants, to offset revenue from the Adder scheme of its existing projects as those gradually expire. In addition, Green Technology Research Company Limited, part of the EA group, together with the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness, announced the winners of the Up the Phase project, narrowing 107 applicant teams from across the country down to 10 finalists. The winning entries were BioTemp 22, an innovation that controls temperatures between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius using Bio-PCM for platelet transport, and Evi-PCM Block, an innovation that locks in temperature to protect environmental evidence.

CHAR Technologies Ltd. has reached substantial mechanical and electrical completion of Phase 1, the first commercial-scale biocarbon production line at its Thorold Renewable Energy Facility, clearing the way for the facility to move into end-to-end commissioning and commercial operations. The Thorold Facility, jointly owned 50/50 between CHAR Tech and The BMI Group, is now awaiting final approvals from the Electrical Safety Authority and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority as each system is brought fully online and up to temperature for commercial biocarbon and pyrolysis gas production. Commercial ramp-up is targeted through October, with production and revenue increasing through calendar year-end 2026 as the facility moves toward its full Phase 1 run-rate; Phase 1 is designed to produce up to 5,500 tonnes of biocarbon per year, supplying customers including ArcelorMittal Dofasco under a previously announced offtake agreement. With Phase 1 construction complete, the company intends to proceed with Phase 2, which includes installation of a second HTP kiln, addition of methanation equipment to upgrade synthetic gas into renewable natural gas, and construction of an onsite RNG pipeline injection point; once the facility begins producing RNG, it will be the first in the world to produce RNG and biocarbon simultaneously from wood waste. Chief Executive Officer Andrew White called the milestone a critical step toward first revenues, adding that hard work remains as the company moves toward the RNG phase of construction and production.

AFYREN's 100% bio-based propionic acid has enabled the global launch of Esse Barrier Rescue, the world's first skincare product formulated with natural propionic acid, now available to skincare professionals and consumers worldwide. The moisturizer, developed by South Africa-based Esse Skincare, combines propionic acid and ceramides to relieve extremely dry and reactive skin while reinforcing the skin's natural ecosystem. AFYREN produces the COSMOS-certified propionic acid through natural fermentation at its AFYREN NEOXY plant in France's Grand-Est region, the first facility in the world capable of producing a portfolio of organic acids at commercial scale. The partnership, which began in December 2025, marks the first use of a natural microbial metabolite in its pure, bio-based form in the skincare industry, opening the door to new cosmetic solutions. Joachim Merziger, COO of AFYREN, said the partnership shows how biotechnology can unlock new opportunities for both performance and sustainability in cosmetics.

Plug Power said Tuesday it signed an agreement to supply 280 megawatts of electrolyzers for Arcadia eFuels' planned sustainable aviation fuel project in Denmark, while also becoming the preferred supplier for a pipeline of additional projects totaling more than 1 gigawatt. Shares of Plug rose 4.8% in premarket trading Tuesday. The initial agreement covers Arcadia's Project ENDOR at the Port of Vordingborg, where renewable electricity would power Plug's GenEco electrolyzers to produce about 110 tons of hydrogen a day, which Arcadia plans to combine with captured carbon dioxide to make synthetic aviation fuel, or e-SAF. Deliveries for the 280 MW ENDOR project will not begin until a notice to proceed is issued, and the project has not yet reached a final investment decision, while the additional 1 GW-plus pipeline represents potential business rather than firm orders. Under a separate cooperation agreement, Plug will be the preferred electrolyzer supplier for four additional Arcadia projects planned in Europe and the Americas, with Arcadia receiving priority access to Plug's manufacturing capacity. The project is aimed partly at demand created by the EU's ReFuelEU Aviation rules, which require sustainable aviation fuels to account for an increasing portion of fuel supplied at European airports, with separate requirements for synthetic aviation fuels beginning in 2030.

The KTIS Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore's Alterpacks and SJS Business Company, or SJS, to study and bring Alterpacks' PFAS-free packaging material technology into commercial production in Thailand, while jointly tapping the global eco-friendly packaging market. The signatories included Mr. Pratch Siriviryakul, a director of Environment Pulp and Packaging Company Limited, or EPAC, a company within the KTIS Group; Ms. Karen Cheah, founder and chief executive officer of Alterpacks Pte. Ltd.; and Mr. Sakon Raksat, chief executive officer of SJS Business Company Limited. Under this collaboration, Alterpacks will transfer material innovations from Singapore, while EPAC will take responsibility for production and bagasse raw materials, with a Thai company managing the project domestically, in order to add value to agricultural waste materials and lay the foundation for Thailand to become a production base for eco-friendly packaging materials for export markets. The signing ceremony was honored by the participation of a delegation from Enterprise Singapore under Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry, led by Ms. Irene Teo, Regional Director. Currently, EPAC produces eco-friendly packaging from 100% pure bagasse pulp under the brand "Evolve Purity," which does not rely on PFAS substances, biodegrades naturally within 45 days, and has a production capacity of up to 50 tons per day, or approximately 3 million pieces per day, using more than 50 standard machines, and has been certified to FSSC 22000 V.5.1, ISO 22000:2018, GHPs, and HACCP standards.

Corteva and Inari announced they have reached a confidential settlement agreement to resolve the lawsuit Corteva filed in September 2023 in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Under the settlement, Inari has agreed to destroy Corteva material it accessed from seed depositories, along with material developed from those deposits, and to assign to Corteva the intellectual property related to its edited versions of Corteva events. The two companies also agreed to negotiate certain licensing arrangements, while the remaining terms of the settlement stay confidential. The case is Corteva Agriscience LLC, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., and Agrigenetics, Inc. v. Inari Agriculture, Inc. and Inari Agriculture NV, C.A. No. 23-1059 (JFM). Corteva and Inari said the rulings reinforce applicable rights over seed deposits and that it is important to abide by applicable patent and other laws and contracts relating to deposited materials.

AFYREN reported net income of €2.4 million for the first half of 2026, reversing a net loss of €6.9 million a year earlier, after completing the €11.3 million cash buyout of the 49% stake held by SPI in its AFYREN NEOXY plant. The acquisition, which took effect in the accounts from March 31, 2026, lifted tangible and intangible assets to €96.5 million and produced €15.8 million in non-recurring income from the revaluation of the previously held stake, while consolidated financial debt reached €40.9 million against equity of €71.8 million. First-half revenue came to €1.3 million, of which €585,000 was sales of acids and fertilizer, and the company said billings at the plant of roughly one million euros doubled the level recorded for all of 2025. AFYREN also secured a €12.5 million venture debt facility from BNP Paribas with a five-year maturity and a two-year repayment grace period, plus a €3 million grant from the European Just Transition Fund administered by the Grand Est region. The company said it targets doubling AFYREN NEOXY's revenue in the second half of 2026 versus the first half, and confirmed its objective of reaching the plant's break-even point and then the Group's break-even on completion of the 2026–2027 investment program, with a final decision on a second plant reasonably envisioned for 2028 and commissioning in 2030.

Angel Yeast announced on September 24 that it has adjusted the Phase II project of the Baiyang Biotech Park implemented by its Yichang High-tech Zone subsidiary, raising the total investment from the original 797 million yuan to 1.061 billion yuan. The main purpose is to boost production capacity for annual yeast protein and co-products. The adjusted annual plan is for 12,000 tonnes of high-purity yeast protein and 32,000 tonnes of yeast protein and co-products. The project is expected to start construction within 2026, with an estimated return on investment of 10.74%. In the first half of 2026, Angel Yeast achieved revenue of 9.187 billion yuan and net profit attributable to the parent of 881 million yuan.

Angel Yeast announced on the evening of September 24 that it plans to issue convertible bonds to unspecified investors, raising total proceeds of no more than 3.5 billion yuan, with a par value of 100 yuan per bond and a term of six years. After deducting issuance expenses, the net proceeds will mainly go toward yeast protein capacity construction and technical research projects. Of this, 955 million yuan will go to Phase II of the Baiyang Biotechnology Park project in the Yichang High-tech Zone, 890 million yuan to the Yichang company's core yeast protein technology research project, 775 million yuan to a green manufacturing project with annual output of 20,000 tonnes of yeast products, 200 million yuan to a flexible intelligent manufacturing and supporting project with annual output of 60,000 tonnes of food ingredients, and 680 million yuan to supplement working capital. The company also released an expansion plan for Phase II of the Baiyang Biotechnology Park project, with total investment adjusted from 797 million yuan to 1.061 billion yuan. The planned green manufacturing project for 20,000 tonnes of yeast protein and co-products per year has been raised to 32,000 tonnes per year. The company currently has yeast protein capacity of about 16,000 tonnes, operating at full production and full sales. The 12,000-tonne annual capacity in Phase II of Baiyang Biotechnology Park is expected to be completed in 2027, and the 32,000-tonne annual capacity will be completed in 2028.

Vylor, the advanced seed and genetics company spinning off from Corteva on October 1, 2026, and Belgium-based Rainbow Crops, a spin-off from VIB, announced a collaboration to develop new corn traits using artificial intelligence and multiplex gene editing. Under the partnership, both companies will use Rainbow Crops' AI-supported Trait Foundry technology to accelerate development of corn hybrids more resilient to extreme weather such as heat, drought and floods, combining the platform with Vylor's gene editing expertise. Mat Muller, who will lead Vylor Edge, Vylor's investment platform, said the AI-enabled multiplex gene editing capabilities will allow hundreds of gene edits simultaneously, with performance validated in phenotyping facilities and field trials. Giacomo Bastianelli, CEO and co-founder of Rainbow Crops, said early corn work has been an important proof point for the Trait Foundry platform. The collaboration follows the European Parliament's passage on 17 June 2026 of legislation allowing gene-edited plants to be imported and cultivated across the European Union, and comes after Corteva, through its Corteva Catalyst investment platform, participated in Rainbow Crops' recently closed €9.7 million seed financing round, an investment that will become part of the Vylor Edge portfolio upon the separation.

The Federation of Thai Industries, or FTI, has proposed to the Minister of Energy, Ekkanat Promphan, that ethanol be elevated from merely a blending component in fuel to a national strategic fuel, in order to cope with volatility in global energy prices, build energy security, and reduce oil imports. Mongkol Hengrojanasophon, chairman of the FTI's Energy Institute for Industry, said the proposal has three main approaches. The first is to set a long-term direction for gasohol E20 as the primary gasoline fuel for vehicles that can support it, starting with price mechanisms to incentivize consumers before developing cost structures across the entire supply chain to be competitive and reduce reliance on subsidy measures. The second is to study a system for using ethanol in flexible proportions, or E-Flex, alongside promoting domestically produced HEV-Flex hybrid vehicles and mHEV mild hybrid vehicles to support fuels with higher ethanol content. The third is to draw up a plan to raise the competitiveness of the biofuel supply chain, covering increased yields of sugarcane and cassava per rai, lower harvesting and transport costs, improved plant efficiency, and the development of sustainability standards and traceability systems, along with setting indicators such as yield per rai, raw material cost per liter of ethanol, production efficiency, and carbon emission intensity throughout the chain. The FTI therefore proposes formulating a national ethanol and biofuel strategy with clear long-term goals and action plans, and confirms the industry sector's readiness to help drive these approaches forward.

Mosaic Biosciences, a unit of The Mosaic Company, launched Renuvis Enzara, an enzyme-based treatment designed to speed up crop residue breakdown, on August 17, less than two weeks after Mosaic reported a second-quarter net loss of $273 million, a sharp reversal from the $411 million profit it posted in the same quarter of 2025. The product uses endoglucanase enzyme technology that works in soil as cold as 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Mosaic also trimmed its 2026 capital expenditure outlook to $1.2 billion from an earlier $1.25 billion, sold its Carlsbad, New Mexico, potash mine during the quarter, and lined up a $1 billion term loan to refinance and extend its short-term commercial paper, while keeping its regular dividend at $0.22 per share. Second-quarter revenue came in at $2.8 billion, but the company posted an operating loss of $36 million and adjusted EBITDA fell to $407 million from $566 million a year earlier, with Phosphate swinging to an operating loss of $104 million from a loss of $8 million and Mosaic Fertilizantes moving from operating earnings of $109 million to an operating loss of $41 million. Potash was the one stable segment, generating $278 million in adjusted EBITDA, essentially matching the $278 million it produced a year earlier.

Cosmo Oil announced on the 17th that it will begin utilizing naphtha co-produced in the SAF manufacturing process together with Maruzen Petrochemical, Ube-Maruzen Polyethylene, and SAFFAIRE SKY ENERGY. At the SAF production facility within Cosmo Oil's Sakai Refinery, naphtha obtained during the production of SAF from waste cooking oil will be utilized as a raw material for chemicals. SAFFAIRE SKY ENERGY will produce the naphtha, Cosmo Oil will supply it, Maruzen Petrochemical will produce basic chemicals, and Ube-Maruzen Polyethylene will produce polyethylene for development into plastic products. The four companies plan to expand supply volumes and develop applications going forward, aiming to contribute to decarbonization in the chemical, textile, and packaging sectors.

Praj Industries and Gevo, Inc. announced the signing of a Development & Commercialization Agreement for Bio-Isobutanol technology in India, with Praj holding exclusive rights to deploy the technology in the country. The partnership will focus on developing commercial opportunities for Bio-IBA, primarily for diesel blending applications aimed at reducing the carbon intensity of one of the world's most widely used transportation and industrial fuels. The agreement builds on more than a decade of collaboration between the two companies to adapt and advance Bio-IBA technology for Indian feedstocks and market requirements. In a separate but aligned development, Praj is currently establishing India's first commercial Bio-IBA demonstration plant for a leading Oil Marketing Company, designed, engineered, supplied and erected by Praj based on Gevo's licensed Bio-IBA technology. According to Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, India consumed approximately 94.7 million tonnes, or 29.7 billion US gallons, of high-speed diesel in FY2025-26. Gevo Chief Executive Officer Paul Bloom called the agreement an important milestone, while Praj Founder Chairman Dr. Pramod Chaudhari said it establishes a strong foundation for bringing Bio-IBA to the Indian market.

The OECD's Climate Club Financial Toolkit 2026 Update, published in June 2026, states that the competitiveness of Bio-Ethylene in Thailand is undermined by an excise tax on domestically produced ethanol of 6 baht per litre and import duties on imported ethanol. The OECD proposes reviewing the relevant rules so that ethanol used to produce bioplastics can qualify for a zero tax rate, and points to licensing restrictions and regulations on the production and sale of alcohol that need to be adjusted to accommodate the use of ethanol as a feedstock in the bioplastics industry. The report also notes that Braskem and SCG Chemicals plan to develop a Bio-Ethylene production project in Thailand with a capacity of about 200,000 tonnes per year, targeting the start of production in 2027, compared with Braskem's Bio-Ethylene capacity in Brazil of about 260,000 tonnes per year. Meanwhile, the OECD's modelling shows that the production cost of Bio-Ethylene is more than three times that of conventional Ethylene, and that PLA costs about 2.6 times as much as the reference plastic in the model. The European Union began applying its Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40, on 12 August 2026 to drive the transition of the packaging industry.

The Trade Policy and Strategy Office of the Ministry of Commerce disclosed that Japan has announced a draft long-term public and private investment plan through 2040, elevating the novel food industry to one of the country's strategic industries. This national plan aims to attract a total of more than 370 trillion yen, covering 17 strategic fields and 62 key products and technologies, ranging from artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technology, biotechnology and clean energy to Food Tech, which is one of those 17 strategic fields. For the novel food industry specifically, Japan plans to allocate about 1 trillion yen in investment to push the market value to 3 trillion yen by 2040, from the current market value of 300 billion yen for alternative protein and 15 billion yen for functional foods. The government plans to establish a new budget category called Strong and Prosperous Japan with no spending ceiling and the ability to plan long-term budgets. Japan has chosen to build on its strengths in fermentation technology, functional foods and food formulation innovation rather than investing in cultivated meat, and has set a strategy to expand into the United States and Europe before entering Asian markets. Meanwhile, in 2025 Japan was Thailand's third-largest export market for agricultural and agro-industrial products, with export value of 5.08194 billion US dollars, or about 166.781 billion baht, although this was down 2.1% from the previous year. The director of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office stated that Japan's accelerated investment in the novel food industry is a golden opportunity for Thai operators to upgrade to become technology developers and producers of high-value food ingredients.

Jiangxi Fushine Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that the company and its subsidiary Jiangxi Fushine Biotechnology Co., Ltd. have obtained an invention patent certificate issued by the Japan Patent Office. The invention is titled "Application of Fusarium oxysporum in the Production of Mycelial Protein," with Japanese patent number 7881733, a grant date of June 19, 2026, and a patent term of 20 years. The company stated that it has become the first enterprise in China to achieve thousand-ton-scale industrialization of filamentous fungal protein, and that the technology related to its proprietary strain Fusarium oxysporum has reached an internationally advanced level overall. The technology had previously been granted invention patents in China, South Korea, and the United States. This Japanese patent represents important progress in the company's international strategic layout for its microbial protein business and will provide a technical barrier for the entry of its Weiran brand protein products into the Japanese market. The patent has already been applied to existing production lines and is not expected to have a significant impact on near-term performance, but it holds positive strategic significance for long-term business development.

Syngenta Crop Protection AG and Amoéba have announced an exclusive supply and distribution agreement for a next-generation biocontrol fungicide, formulation AXP20, targeting cereal diseases across the European Union, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Switzerland. The binding long-term partnership, which converts a November 2025 memorandum of understanding, covers all cereals except corn and aims to control septoria tritici blotch and yellow rust, which together affect an estimated 9 to 12 million hectares annually. First market registrations are expected in the third quarter of 2028, with initial sales in core EU markets by the end of that year for spring 2029 use. The product, based on the lysate of the amoeba Willaertia magna C2c Maky, received EU approval in 2025 and is classified under FRAC Group BM02 with low resistance risk. Amoéba's managing director, Jean-Marc Petat, called the agreement a defining milestone, noting that Syngenta's screening selected AXP20 as the highest performing biofungicide among many biological solutions.

OMV Petrom has expanded its planned green hydrogen production capacity at Romania's Petrobrazi refinery to 55 megawatts following the delivery of a second 35-MW electrolyzer. The new system, consisting of seven 5-MW electrolysis modules supplied by Germany's Neuman & Esser, will combine with a previously delivered 20-MW electrolyzer to produce around 8,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually using renewable electricity. The hydrogen will primarily support OMV Petrom's new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) plant, currently under construction at Petrobrazi. The 35-MW electrolyzer alone is expected to produce around 4,700 tonnes of hydrogen annually and has received approximately €29 million in financing through Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan. These hydrogen projects are part of a broader €750 million investment in sustainable fuels at Petrobrazi, which includes €560 million for the SAF/HVO plant and €190 million for the two green hydrogen facilities. The new plant will have capacity to produce 250,000 tonnes of sustainable fuels annually, with production scheduled to begin in 2028. OMV Petrom has already secured buyers for part of that output, including a five-year agreement with parent company OMV covering up to 360,000 tonnes of SAF and HVO beginning in 2028, with an estimated value exceeding €800 million at recent market prices. More than 80% of the plant's feedstock requirements for its first eight years have also been secured. Petrobrazi currently supplies roughly 35% of Romania's fuel demand and has an annual refining capacity of 4.5 million tonnes.