Shanghai Egt Synbio Group Co., Ltd.

Shanghai EGT Synbio Group Co., Ltd. is a synthetic biology company at 1299 Ziyue Road in the Minhang District of Shanghai. It makes a single active ingredient, L-ergothioneine, an amino acid derivative used as an antioxidant in supplements, cosmetics and functional foods, by fermentation rather than by chemical synthesis or mushroom extraction.

The process combines engineered chassis strains, directed evolution of the biosynthetic enzymes, high-density fermentation and a crystallisation step for final purification. The company holds a patent licence from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It states that it built a fermentation-route ergothioneine plant in 2021 and reaches a purity of 99.99 percent, and its production base is run to GMP standards.

Its ergothioneine is sold under the Dr.Ergo name. In February 2025 the United States Food and Drug Administration recorded a GRAS notification for the ingredient, with an acceptable daily intake of 560 milligrams for a 70 kilogram adult. This was the first ergothioneine from a Chinese producer to complete the GRAS route and the second worldwide. The company exhibits at the autumn Food Ingredients China fair run by the China Food Additives and Ingredients Association.