Bacfarm

Sector
Cosmetics and biotechnology

Profile
Bacfarm is a biotechnology platform for the exploitation of particular bacteria. Using an innovative patented process, Bacfarm extracts and utilises molecules that protect some bacteria from extreme conditions, such as high doses of radiation. These biomolecules have huge potential in various fields, enabling them to protect the integrity of organic and non-organic matrices from stress factors such as oxidation processes and to improve their performance. Bacfarm develops ad hoc solutions tailored to the intended application area through targeted research, to deliver high added-value, unique and competitive products. The startup is a B2B company that works closely with downstream operators in the supply chain, providing exclusively solutions that improve or redesign the quality and possibilities of B2C products.

From the Contamination Lab UniCa to recognition as a Junior Spin-Off, this start-up has achieved a number of milestones, including placing first at the National Innovation Award in the ‘life science’ category. In 2020, Bacfarm received its first investment from G-Factor (Golinelli Foundation) and took part in the Foundation’s business accelerator programme and in the Start-up Academy organised by Unicredit.

Competencies e technologies
The Bacfarm team features a strong mix of technical knowledge and expertise in support of its development. In addition to its core of scientific skills, it includes members with administrative and business backgrounds. Bacfarm's business concept is focused on the potential applications of a new, innovative and competitive bacterial extraction technology to obtain biomolecules of high commercial interest. It is a patented technology capable of selecting a portion of extremophilic bacteria, the S-Layer. This is a membrane coating the outer surface of these micro-organisms, a biological structure that maintains cell integrity, whose components have been isolated by the company’s scientific team using specific know-how.

Products, services e applications
The initial applications are in the cosmetics industry, based on exploitation of the extremophilic bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, from which Bacfarm has extracted a new ingredient composed of the protein SlpA and deinoxanthin, a valuable carotenoid. Thus, Bacfarm is offering for the first time to the market a new and exclusive molecule: Pink Layer, a powerful UV filter with high antioxidant activity. This is the ideal candidate for overcoming the efficacy and safety issues of the active principles currently available on the market.

Useful links
Bacfarm