Synthetic biology companies engineer biological systems to create new products, processes and capabilities across healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and environmental applications. The field combines biology, engineering and computational design to reprogram living systems.
This category includes companies working on:
Browse 114 UK synthetic biology companies below.
Non-viral intracellular delivery platform based on biomolecular condensates
PartitionBio is a biotechnology company developing a non-viral intracellular delivery platform based on liquid-liquid phase separation and biomolecular condensates. Its lead product, BubbleFect, is a room-temperature-stable, non-lipid reagent designed for bench-top use without specialist equipment or cold-chain…
Biodiversity-derived protein data and AI models for biological design
Basecamp Research is a London-based biotech company that collects biological samples from extreme environments across more than 26 countries, building a proprietary metagenomic database of over ten billion novel protein sequences from more than one million previously unrecorded species. This dataset trains large AI…
Microbially produced leather alternative for luxury fashion
Replica Biomaterials is an industrial biotechnology company developing sustainable leather alternatives using engineered microbes. Its fermentation-based platform grows microbial biomaterials that are animal-free and petrochemical-free, with built-in customisable colour, eliminating the tanning and dyeing processes…
Synthetic chromosome engineering for crop plants
Syntato is a plant biotechnology company applying synthetic biology to design and build plant chromosomes. The company aims to make chromosomes modular and reusable so that adaptive traits can be added as single units while the native genome is preserved. It combines synthetic biology, automation and protein design,…
Synthetic promoter platform for precision gene expression control
Chromatin Bioscience designs synthetic promoters and gene expression control systems for cell and gene therapy developers. Its platform uses bioinformatics to identify cell-type-selective regulatory elements from the human genome, which are assembled into novel synthetic promoters enabling precise, durable and…
Automated on-demand DNA synthesis hardware for research laboratories
AmpliSynth is an instruments company developing automated DNA synthesis hardware for in-house, same-day gene production. Its platform uses enzymatic chemistry to synthesise custom DNA sequences directly within research laboratories, removing dependence on external suppliers and eliminating multi-week lead times…
AI-designed protein fibres as sustainable alternatives to synthetic textiles
Solena Materials is an industrial biotechnology company developing a new class of protein-based fibres for the fashion and performance apparel sectors. Using proprietary deep learning models and computational protein design, the company engineers novel proteins from first principles, which are then produced using…
Industrial biotechnology research translation and commercialisation support
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst is an EPSRC-funded programme helping universities and companies translate industrial biotechnology research into commercial applications. Led by the University of Manchester with north-west academic and industry partners, it provides funding for proof-of-concept projects,…
Xeno nucleic acid binders for targeted drug delivery
Xterna is a biotechnology company developing cell-specific molecular binders composed of xeno nucleic acids (XNAs), chemically modified nucleic acids distinct from naturally occurring DNA and RNA. XNA-based binders are engineered to target cell types that evade conventional antibody-based approaches, enabling drug…
Enzyme-enabled precision molecular editing for therapeutic discovery
X-Genix is a biotechnology company developing enzyme-enabled methods for selective molecular modification in drug discovery. Its platform integrates engineered biological catalysts, synthetic chemistry and machine learning to modify small molecules and complex biomolecules at defined sites. This provides access to…
Plant protein materials replacing plastics and microplastics
Xampla is a Cambridge-based materials innovation company developing plant protein-based alternatives to single-use plastics and synthetic microplastics. Its range of products includes biodegradable coatings, soluble films, edible films, and microcapsules derived from sustainable vegetable proteins such as pea,…
Bio-inspired adhesion peptides for medical and industrial use
Zentraxa is a biomaterials company engineering bio-inspired adhesion peptides using a proprietary synthetic peptide manufacturing platform. Inspired by marine mollusc chemistry, the platform designs and produces novel peptides with exceptional adhesion properties in wet and submerged environments. Medical applications…
Microbial fermentation platforms for sustainable commodity chemicals
C3 Biotechnologies is a UK industrial biotechnology company engineering microbial strains and fermentation processes to convert waste carbon streams into bio-based commodity chemicals and sustainable fuels. Operating from a pilot plant in Stockport, the company uses synthetic biology and continuous fermentation under…
Engineered bacteria to remodel the tumour microenvironment
Neobe Therapeutics is a UK synthetic biology company developing programmable live biotherapeutics that colonise solid tumours and disrupt the local microenvironment to enable immune cell infiltration. The platform engineers tumour-colonising bacteria to break down stromal barriers that exclude immune cells, aiming to…
Engineered enzymes for recycling plastics and mixed textiles
Evoralis is a biotechnology company developing enzymes that break down plastics such as polyester, nylon and polyurethane into their chemical building blocks for recycling. The company uses a microfluidic screening platform to test large numbers of enzyme variants rapidly, allowing candidates to be discovered and…
Semiconductor platform for benchtop gene synthesis
Evonetix is a company developing a semiconductor chip platform for de novo gene synthesis. Its silicon array technology uses thermal control and on-chip error correction to enable accurate, gene-length DNA synthesis at the benchtop, with applications across engineering biology, medicine, agriculture, and materials…
Directed evolution platform engineering microbes for industrial biomanufacturing
Evolutor is a biotechnology company developing directed evolution technologies to enhance microbial performance for industrial biomanufacturing. Its proprietary genetic toolbox links bacterial cell fitness to recombinant protein production rates, generating evolved production strains with substantially improved…
AI-driven intron technology to enhance transgene expression
ExpressionEdits is a biotechnology company developing computational tools to improve protein expression from artificial gene constructs. Its Genetic Syntax Engine uses machine learning and biological data to predict optimal intron insertion patterns within transgenes, increasing protein production levels in mammalian…
Enzymatic synthetic DNA manufacture for gene therapy and molecular biology
NunaBio is a specialist DNA synthesis company developing a cell-free enzymatic platform for scalable production of synthetic DNA, including long oligonucleotides, whole genes and DNA fragments. Its technology avoids the plasmid and primer-dependent steps that constrain conventional phosphoramidite chemistry, enabling…
Fermentation platform producing renewable xylitol from agricultural waste
ARCITEKBio is an industrial biotech company developing a fermentation-based manufacturing platform for renewable xylitol production. Using engineered yeast strains, the company converts agricultural and industrial waste streams, including wheat straw, wood pulp, and brewers' by-products, into a natural low-calorie…