LightSyn Technology

LightSyn Technology, registered as Hangzhou Hetan Chuangwu Technology Co., Ltd. (杭州合碳创物科技有限公司) and trading as Hangzhou LightSyn Biotechnology, is based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. It uses synthetic biology and fermentation to make bioactive ingredients for dietary supplements, food and cosmetics rather than extracting them from plant material.

The company was started by a team of doctoral researchers whose backgrounds include Wageningen University, the University of Tokyo, Tsinghua University, China Agricultural University and institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its headquarters holds an R&D centre of more than 1,000 square metres built around two platforms, one for microalgae discovery and high-density heterotrophic microalgae fermentation, the other a programmable cell factory for engineered strains. Supporting units cover germplasm screening, microfluidics-based experimental strain evolution, scale-up of high-density fermentation, and efficacy testing.

Ingredients developed on these platforms include beta-glucan, glyceryl glucoside and microalgae growth factor, alongside algae oils supplying EPA and DHA, D-chiro-inositol, hydroxytyrosol, salidroside, curcumin diglucoside, sodium chondroitin oligosulfate and microalgae extracts. The company also works on bioactive polysaccharides for food and health applications.