Value Proposition
· Natural: Uses Cryptococcus neoformans which secretes melanin directly in the culture supernatant, enabling more efficient extraction compared to fungi that trap melanin in their cell walls
· Simple: Offers a solvent-free method for isolating melanin from culture supernatants
· Fast: Presents a faster extraction technique for cell wall-bound melanin that delivers comparable yields with reduced processing time
· Scalable: Provides a sustainable and scalable platform for natural melanin production
Unmet Need
· There is growing demand for melanin to support commercial applications in agriculture, biomedicine, cosmetics, energy, semiconductors, bioelectronics, and advanced materials.
· Current production methods rely on cuttlefish, bovine eyes, feathers, plants, and microorganisms, but these methods are labor-intensive, costly, ethically concerning, and difficult to scale. Chemically synthesized melanins differ in structure and function from natural melanin and underperform in commercial applications relative to natural melanins.
· Therefore, there is a strong need to develop new, sustainable, scalable melanin production methods to address the growing demand.
Technology Description
· Researchers at Johns Hopkins discovered that Cryptococcus neoformans, a yeast-like fungus, secretes spherical melanin granules (20-50 nm in diameter) into the culture supernatant. These granules can be efficiently isolated by ultracentrifugation without the need for solvent extractions and have been validated to exhibit key melanin characteristics.
· The researchers also developed a faster and more efficient technique to extract melanin from fungi that retain melanin tightly bound to the inner side of the cell wall, achieving similar melanin extraction yields in less time.
Stage of Development
· The inventors have developed methods of isolating pure melanin from fungi cell walls and fungi supernatants.
Data Availability
· Data available upon request.
Publication
· J Biol Chem. 2019 May 22. pii: jbc.RA119.008684
· Patent: US20220042056A1, “Isolation of Fungal Melanin and Uses in External Radiation Shielding and Heat Capture”
