Sterosaurus
but no one talks about
the carbon emissions behind pharmaceuticals
Especially in Hamilton, Ontario. As more retirees from neighboring towns choose to downsize and settle here, healthcare demands continue to grow.
One of the most prescribed medications for this population is progesterone.
With this trend mirrored across Canada, we now face a progesterone shortage.
Progesterone precursors is traditionally sourced from
yams, fungi, and yeast.
The shortage is driven by how progesterone is produced today, relying on diasgenin as the key precursor in the synthesis process, which is sourced from wild yams.
These biological sources hinge on agricultural yields and fermentation logistics, making production volatile during supply shocks and global disruptions.
Some Facts:
The national shortage of progesterone in Canada shows itself across all types of medications: Gels, Pills, Creams, and more.
8% of all supply chain associated shortages of drugs are due to raw material unavailability.
Diasgenin, the standard precursor for progesterone in Canada, is sourced from wild yams.
Due to climate change, fragile food networks and trading policies, Canada currently relies on a material for progesterone that is decreasing in availability.
Meanwhile, the nation-wide trend towards increasing older adult population indicates higher progesterone needs.
There are alternative precursors of progesterone available. However the supply for the alternatives is limited.
We aim to take advantage of the numerous carbon-emitting businesses located in Hamilton, which Hamiltonians have pride in, as a low cost source for our algae bioreactors to reliably produce ergosterol.
An Algal Platform forSteroid Precursor Bioproduction
Our goal is to turn waste into value. By using CO₂-rich emissions as input for algal growth, we can produce high-value molecules like ergosterol sustainably. This approach combines carbon capture with synthetic biology, creating a low-energy, scalable alternative to traditional fermentation.
Our strategy focuses on testing the integration of a non-native Mevalonate (MVA) pathway and introducing Squalene Synthase and Squalene Epoxidase enzymes from heterologous organisms. Together, these pathways aim to enhance the production of downstream sterol compounds in our algal chassis.
