Biosynthetic production of psilocybin and psilocin by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

• Grant number: 22/09697-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: June 01, 2023 - November 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Carlos de Caires Júnior
• Grantee: Luiz Carlos de Caires Júnior
• Host Company: Synbd Pesquisa, Desenvolvimento e Produção de Insumos Farmacêuticos
• CNAE: Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• City: São Paulo
• Pesquisadores principais: Ricardo Ernesto Bianchetti
• Associated researchers: Fabrício Alano Pamplona ; Larissa Pereira Brumano
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/12256-4 - Development of the purification process for biosynthetic psilocybin and psilocin., BP.TT; 23/13635-6 - Study and development of an analytical methodology to confirm the presence of psilocybin molecules in cultivation of genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae., BP.TT; 23/08825-0 - Developmenpt of the purification process of biosynthetic psilocin and psilocibin, BP.TT; 23/08853-4 - Transformation, genotyping, and verification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae genetically modified for the production of psilocybin, BP.TT

Abstract

Psilocybin is an alkaloid produced by the mushroom from the species Psylocibe cubensis. It has been reported that the applied microdose improves the treatment of several mental disorders, e.g.: anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress. In the past five years, the clinical utilization of psilocybin has been analyzed, and the high expectation of approval leads to the increase in this worldwide demand. Currently, biological extraction is the traditional way to get psilocybin, however, this method is susceptive to environmental variability, impairing the accumulation of the compound leading to the economic viability below the market expectations. On the other side, mushroom consumption "in natura" exposes the clinical user to wrong administration, hallucination and potential toxic effects. In this context, SynBD has developed a technological platform to obtain high purity and safe psilocybin and psilocin by bioproduction of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae microorganism. Based on the current success in the obtention of the prototype of biosynthetic psilocybin, the main goal of this project is to increase the production process on a large scale and high purity, aiming for the commercial viability of the international market represented by chemical and pharmaceutical companies. (AU)