Through extensive collection of microbial resources, we have covered ecological environments that might contain strains rich in tetraacetylphytosphingosine (TAPS), including extreme environments, traditional fermented foods, and the rhizosphere soil of medicinal plants. Utilizing bioinformatics analysis and high-throughput screening technologies, we ultimately identified candidate strains capable of synthesizing TAPS from the rhizosphere soil of rainforest plants.
TAPS-producing strains are crucial for the microbial fermentation process of ceramide production. Under specific conditions, the fermentation process yields TAPS, which is then deacetylated to produce phytosphingosine, the precursor of ceramide.
These phytosphingosine strains are not the result of genetic engineering; they are naturally selected strains from the environment. These strains not only produce TAPS stably under laboratory conditions but also maintain high efficiency in industrial-scale fermentation production, laying a solid foundation for Zhihe Bio's large-scale production.
Adhering to the principle that quality is derived from design and guided by the concept of green chemistry, we have developed an excellent extraction and synthesis process that avoids the use of special chemical raw materials, specialized production equipment, and complex production operations. This approach ensures product safety while laying a solid foundation for low-cost production.
To introduce high-quality, cost-effective products, we have further reduced production costs by optimizing process parameters while ensuring stable and reliable quality. In production, we optimized the extraction stirring method, reducing the amount of extraction solvent by 20%. Additionally, by optimizing crystallization solvents and process parameters, we increased the yield by 10%.
Our production facility boasts a comprehensive quality management system and an experienced production team. With our own production strains and in-house production of key materials—such as fatty acid chains—we ensure the stability and reliability of our product quality.
To effectively address the challenges that ceramides have faced in cosmetic formulations—such as poor solubility, tendency to crystallize, and low bioavailability—Zhihe Bio has leveraged its strong foundation in the independent research and production of a full range of fatty acid chains. By integrating top industry experts across synthetic biology, cosmetic application technology, and pharmaceutical technology development, we have established a formulation delivery platform in Shanghai.
Currently, Zhihe Bio offers a diverse range of ceramide formulations, including liquid crystal structures, lipid carriers, water-soluble series, and oil-soluble series. These products have successfully overcome the traditional challenges of ceramide application, marking a new era in ceramide application technology.
