Overview

Collagen, a vital protein comprising over 30% of our bodies, plays a key role in connective tissues, including skin, bones, and tendons.

Its immense demand, driven by the cosmetic and supplement industry's growth, raises environmental and ethical concerns, as it's primarily sourced from various animals, impacting the environment and raising ethical questions.

At HypeColl, we're committed to addressing these issues by offering a halal, vegan, and kosher alternative.

Join us in the journey to sustainable and ethical collagen solutions.

Explore our Human Practices

Certifications

ELSI Framework

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Vegan, Halal, and Kosher Certifications

HypeColl was designed and manufactured with the goal of being used in the field of regenerative medicine. Two key points drove that decision — ubiquity and sourcing. Firstly, collagen is everywhere! It is not an elixir that you need to travel far and wide to find; all you have to do is look inwards. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, contributing approximately 25%–35% of the total protein mass. Its ubiquity and essentiality in virtually all essential organs makes it a prime candidate for tissue engineering. This brings us to the second point — sourcing. Despite its abundance in the human body, collagen is, unsurprisingly, not sourced from humans, but rather from land and marine animals. This raises several issues that extend far beyond tissue engineering, and into the realm of the food, beverage and supplements industry; the cosmetics industry; the pharmaceutical industry, and the fashion industry, to name a few.

Food and Beverages

Collagen can be used as a gluten-free food thickener

Supplements and Nutraceuticals

Collagen is used as a supplement to support skin, joint, and hair health, among others.

Cosmetics and Beauty Products

Cosmetics, such as lotions, utilize collagen for its moisturizing and firm-forming properties.

Pharmaceuticals

Collagen tablets can be used for protein delivery.

Fashion

Collagen-infused clothing lines promise enhanced textures.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Societal Issues (ELSI) Analysis

To dissect the complex issue of collagen sourcing, we employed the Ethical, Legal, and Social Societal Issues (ELSI) Analysis Framework.

Ethical Impact

Collagen is commercially extracted from bovine, porcine, and marine sources, often by products of the food industry. The increased collagen demand, which is threatening to overwhelm its supply, is tackled in problematic ways. First, jaguars, tapirs, and monkeys, are slaughtered for their collagen, raising ethical concerns as they are not allowed to live through their “natural lives”. Intentional slaughter also has an impact on biodiversity, especially in the Amazon rainforest where this act is prevalent. Second, specialized collagen farms are being established, such as the one spearheaded by JBS, Brazil’s largest beef company, which has been linked with deforestation. This raises the ethical concern of raising animals for so-called byproducts. Second, as these farms can be traced back to the Amazon rainforest, they are further accelerating deforestation and threatening the ‘lungs of the planet Earth’.

Legal Impact

Laws governing collagen harvesting exist to protect stakeholders. Starting from the very beginning of the supply chain, animal welfare laws entail the human treatment of source animals. In the United Arab Emirates, for instance, Federal Law no. 16 was issued to protect animals from negligence. Collagen that is routed to the Food and Beverage industry is subject to further standards, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Food Risk Analysis, to govern its quality and safety. That being said, having rules in place and ensuring that said rules are being followed are two different things. As an example, the poaching of jaguars, tapirs, and monkeys for collagen is illegal. Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a major concern in the Amazon rainforest, where 10,000 species are at risk of extinction. In Brazil, which reports the second highest jaguar poaching rate, there is little being done to tackle this issue. Similarly, no rules govern the deforestation linked with collagen, as a so-called byproduct of the cattle industry.

Societal Impact

Adding a layer of complexity to the impact of collagen harvesting is the demand for high-quality collagen derived from pasture-raised, grass-fed cows. Although pasture farming offers advantages such as soil fertilization and a higher nutritional profile of the resulting products, it does not always translate to ‘sustainable’, as it requires vast areas of land. As explained, collagen farming has been linked to the deforestation of at least 2,600 km2 of Amazon land, contributing to the theft of indigenous land and the displacement of indigenous communities. In this way, increased demand for collagen, mainly in the European Union and the United States, leads to deforestation in the Global South, impacting the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people.

It is important to note that while the ELSI Framework examines ethics (E), law (L), and society (S) separately, the three are very much interconnected, as demonstrated by the repetition of the Amazon rainforest’s relationship to collagen. E, for instance, shapes the values and norms of S. L utilizes the principles of E to protect S, while also being influenced by S.

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The collagen market is valued at $4,700,000,000.

It is expected to reach $7,200,000,000 by 2030.

Cattle are the leading agricultural contributor to greenhouse gasses worldwide.

The growing demand for collagen, coupled with the industry’s current reliance on animal agriculture, necessitates that alternative collagen sources be developed. This is where our project, HypeColl, comes into play. HypeColl promises an animal-free alternative to collagen that harbors the same quality as native collagen, while minimizing potential environmental impacts.

Why Vegan?

As HypeColl is, by design, an animal-free alternative to collagen, we decided to examine the possibility of licensing it as a vegan product, given the rise in veganism and the demand for vegan proteins, which currently forms a market valued at $17,400,000,000. Our meeting with Matthias Foerster, on behalf of Geltor, confirmed the demand for vegan protein products, especially in the beauty and cosmetics industry. Importantly, while other lifestyles, such as the Halal lifestyle, may endorse marine collagen, it is strictly prohibited under vegan regulations. Thus, an animal-free collagen alternative is in high demand.

Why Halal?

Defined as ‘permissible’ or ‘lawful’ in Islamic law, the halal lifestyle is practiced by 1,972,000,000 people worldwide, contributing to a huge market that exceeds $7,000,000,000,000, much of which is due to developing economies. It is worth noting that Halal products are not only sought after by individuals who practice Islam, but also by non-Muslims, as the Halal certification is viewed as an assurance of food safety and hygiene. As our iGEM team is based in a predominantly Muslim country, we recognize the importance of and need for Halal products, especially in the domain of proteins, where the supply chain is often not transparent enough to confirm the Halal status of products.

Why Kosher?

The Kosher, or ‘proper’, lifestyle, is one typically attributed to Jews. Our meeting with Geltor revealed that the Kosher demand is relatively low, as it is primarily conservative Jewish communities that strictly follow Kosher laws. Initially, our team saw this as an opportunity, as low demand does not equate to no demand; however, it does equate to low supply. We thus believed that, due to the lack of competitors, HypeColl would succeed as a Kosher collagen. However, further research revealed that, similar to Halal products, Kosher products are not only sought after by Jewish consumers, but are also desired by non-Jewish consumers for a multitide of reasons, including the assurance of food quality and safety, and the avoidance of certain allergens, such as shellfish. In fact, the number one cited reason for consuming Kosher products is ‘health and safety concerns. Interestingly, the Kosher label is one of the top claims on food and beverage, beating even allergen gluten-free and allergen claims.

To navigate the regulations and criteria surrounding vegan, halal, and kosher certifications, we met with Matthias Foerster on behalf of Geltor, a leader in the field of vegan, Halal, and Kosher protein fermentation for the beauty industry. Geltor’s drive for acquiring these certifications is the demand from consumers and manufacturers. However, we learned that Geltor is not currently actively pushing their products in the Middle East due to low demand for animal-free cosmetics. Intrigued by this, we decided to to gauge the regional interest in vegan, Halal, and Kosher collagen via a questionnaire, and the findings revealed a need for both a greener collagen and a Halal collagen. The meeting further informed us that, when it comes to acquiring such certifications for precision fermentation products, the concern is not the product itself but the production process. Furthermore, the certifications themselves do not require any additional tests, but only require completing the required forms, and may necessitate visits to the production facility to ensure compliance with standards.

The meeting additionally gave us insight into the existence of several international vegan certifying bodies, from The Vegan Society to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), each with its own definition of veganism. We thus decided to reach out to The Vegan Society as the most renowned international vegan certification organization. Unlike PETA, which approves companies, The Vegan Society examines products on a case-by-case basis and incurs stricter vegan regulations. The meeting once again informed us that the entire manufacturing process is essential when obtaining a Vegan Trademark. When it comes to fermentation, in particular, it is essential to characterize the fermentation media and starter culture, eliminate cross-contamination, and ensure no animal testing is conducted. Additionally, testing products on human cells is permitted as long as consent is obtained or the cells belong to ethically-established cell lines.

Our questionnaire revealed a heavy reliance on collagen in beauty products, and global trends indicate that the demand for collagen stems firstly from nutritional products, followed by food and beverages.

Thus, we decided to perform a deep dive into the beauty and cosmetics industry — particularly as it pertains to entrepreneurship — and the food, beverage, and supplements industry — especially in relation to safety and legislations.

Applications of HypeColl in the Food, Beverage, and Supplements Industry

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“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” - James Beard

Our first big hurdle was that our collagen sequence has never been utilized in ingestibles. Further research classified our protein as a ‘novel food’.

The concept of novel foods is relatively new, and there is no agreed upon definition by all competent authorities. That being said, the general consensus is that novel foods are any food items that satisfy one of four criteria.

In the case of HypeColl, three of the four criteria, shown below, confirm its status as a novel food.

• Newly developed food
• Food produced using new technologies
  • Precision fermentation is considered a new technology in the food industry
• Food or ingredients from new sources
  • Our collagen alternative is the first to be isolated from group A Streptococcus M2 serotype
• New substances used in food
  • As collagen is often a secondary ingredient in food and beverages, it qualifies as a ‘new substance used in food’, rather than a ‘newly developed food’

Value-Sensitive Design.

In seeking novel food pre-market approval for HypeColl, we prioritized a human-centered approach. To do so, we employed a Value-Sensitive Design (VSD) to identify relevant values and expected norms

Regulations

Very few countries have developed regulatory frameworks concerned specifically with novel foods. Our meeting with Professor Mutamed Ayyash, an Associate Professor of Food Science at the United Arab Emirates University, informed us that no regulations surrounding precision fermentation are in place in the United Arab Emirates. Thus, we examined the regulatory frameworks of three relevant competent authorities across three different region

European Union - European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

Why the European Union? The European Union’s EFSA has a very detailed pre-market approval process, in addition to an extensive catalogue of foods subjected to novel food regulations.

The EFSA regulates the food safety and relevant risks of any food products to be placed on the European Union’s market. When it comes to novel foods, the EFSA released Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 ‘Novel Foods’, which lays down the rules for placing such foods on the European Union market. According to the EFSA, novel foods are any foods that do not have a significant history of consumption in the region prior to May 1997. Any proposed novel foods must not pose any risk to human health, must not mislead consumers, and must not be nutritionally disadvantageous.

Singapore - Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

Why Singapore? Singapore is a major hub for food innovation, with regulations across different categories of novel food. In fact, Singapore was the first country to approve the placement of lab-grown meat on the market.

The SFA is the competent authority which oversees food security and hazard management in Singapore. In terms of novel foods, the SFA released a document titled ‘Requirements for the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods and Novel Food Ingredients’, which covers all aspects of the approval process, from pre-market consultations to required documents and tests. According to the SFA, novel foods are any foods that do not have a significant history of consumption in the region over the prior 20 years. Proposed novel foods must be shown to be safe for human consumption through extensive hazard management and safety tests.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)

Why Saudi Arabia? The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is unique in the GCC for introducing novel food regulations, potentially leading to alignment with the UAE. Additionally, this makes it easier for food products to enter other GCC markets once they've entered one country.

The SFDA is the competent authority responsible for establishing food, beverage, and drug regulations and standards, and for inspection of both domestic and international products. In December 2020, the SFDA published SFDA.FD 5013:2020 ‘General Requirements for Novel Foods’, highlighting the requirements for pre-market approval of novel foods. The aforementioned regulations are heavily based on EFSA’s Regulation 2015/2283 on Novel Foods. SFDA dictates that novel foods are any foods that do not have a significant history of consumption in the region prior to January 1, 2021. In general, novel foods must have a composition that does not pose any health risks, must be safe for human consumption, and, if set to replace another food product, it should not differ from that product in a way that makes it inappropriate for human use.

Health and Safety

Geltor informed us that their latest product, PrimaColl, is intended for use in supplements. However, as imagined, it is much more difficult to get a novel ingestible product on the market, than a product intended for dermal use, with the main concern being the product’s safety. All of the aforementioned competent authorities necessitate that novel food products be tested for the absence of hazards. To learn more about the potential hazards associated with synthetic biology products, we consulted with Professor Ayyash, whose role as a Food Safety Trainer was of extreme benefit to our project. Professor Ayyash informed us that precision fermentation hazards can arise from chemical, physical, or biological sources. He further reconfirmed the need for extensive tests for allergens, toxins, and health risks. In the case of HypeColl, the main hazard sources are residual chemicals or host-strain DNA, which may result in allergenicity, cross-reactivity, and/or toxicity. We compiled a non-comprehensive list of the hazards that HypeColl may be subjected to, in addition to potential mitigation and testing techniques, in the table below..

Hazard	Mitigation	Testing
Allergenicity	Hydrolysis or similar	Assessing percent homology to known allergens (e.g. via AllergenOnline) Residue testing of product
Toxicity	Use of generally recognized as safe species and/or strains Minimizing drastic genetic changes	Chronic toxicity tests (OECD 451, 452, or 453) ADME studies (OECD 417) (e.g. via SwissADME) 90-day oral toxicity studies (OECD 408)
Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, and Embryotoxicity	Use of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) species and/or strains Minimizing drastic genetic changes	Ames test (OECD 471) Comet assay (OECD 489) Multigenerational animal reproductive studies (OECD 413, 421 and 443)
Microbial Contamination	Addition of antimicrobials Sterilization (heat, irradiation, filtration, etc.)	ELISA PCR
Chemical Residues	Use of safe chemicals Use of minimal chemical levels Washing procedures	Quantification of chemical levels in the final product
Genetic/ Epigenetic Drift	Following related good practices Limiting subculturing	Sequence analysis Toxicity testing

We employed as many mitigation strategies as possible, starting with the use of a non-pathogenic E. coli strain to limiting the number of subcultures.

When it came to hazard testing, limitations in both time and resources prohibited us from carrying out most of the experiments.

That being said, we resorted to literature reviews, simulations, and bioinformatics analyses to identify biological hazards.

Source	Hazard	Hazard Identification, Mitigation, and/or Testing	Result
Original Strain (group A Streptococcus M2 serotype)	Pathogenicity	Literature Review	Moderate (linked to pyoderma and acute glomerulonephritis)
Original Strain (group A Streptococcus M2 serotype)	Toxicity	Literature Review	Unknown
Host Strain (Auxotrophic/BL21 E. coli)	Pathogenicity	Literature Review	Non-pathogenic
Host Strain (Auxotrophic/BL21 E. coli)	Toxicity	Literature Review	Non-toxic (endotoxin-free strains can be used)
Expressed Protein (Scl2.28)	Pathogenicity	Literature Review	Very low
Expressed Protein (Scl2.28)	Toxicity	Literature Review	Very low
Expressed Protein (Scl2.28)	Allergenicity	Bioinformatics Analysis	Gluten allergens (number of Gluten-like Q repeats): 0 Most similar protein allergen: Par ol alpha2I (collagen-derived protein), present in Paralichthys olivaceus Cross-reactivity with known allergens: 8 (Par ol alpha2I, Bos d alpha2I, Dan re alpha2I, Onc m alpha2I, Sal s 6, Bos d Collagen 140 kD, Lat c 6) Similarity to low allergenic protein: 0
Expressed Protein (Scl2.28)	Immunogenicity	Literature Review	Very low(1.38%)
Expressed Protein (Scl2.28)	Cross-reactivity with Collagen	Literature Review	None
Expressed Protein (Scl2.28)	Antigenicity	Literature Review	Very low

It is worth clarifying that while the Streptococcus M2 serotype is associated with pyoderma and glomerulonephritis, these conditions are not linked to the Scl2.28 antigen, but are caused by other proteins, including M proteins, streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins (Spe), and fibronectin-binding proteins (FBI).

This explains the low antigenicity and pathogenicity of Scl2.28. Other Scl proteins, including Scl1.1 and Scl1.28, still show a higher seroconversion rate and a higher pathogenicity than Scl2.28, indicating that while the host strain may be pathogenic, this pathogenicity is not associated with our protein of interest. Furthermore, the toxicity of the M2 serotype is not well-documented. Other Group A Streptococcus serotypes, including T1M1, T28R28, and T3M3 release exotoxins associated with toxic shock syndrome; however, data about the M2 serotype is scarce. Furthermore, while HypeColl exhibits cross-reactivity with eight known allergens, these allergies are not very common.

All in all, the results indicate that HypeColl presents low-to-moderate hazard levels; that being said, further in vivo and in vitro tests should be performed for quality assurance.

Transparency

It is worth clarifying that while the Streptococcus M2 serotype is associated with pyoderma and glomerulonephritis, these conditions are not linked to the Scl2.28 antigen, but are caused by other proteins, including M proteins, streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins (Spe), and fibronectin-binding proteins (FBI). This explains the low antigenicity and pathogenicity of Scl2.28. Other Scl proteins, including Scl1.1 and Scl1.28, still show a higher seroconversion rate and a higher pathogenicity than Scl2.28, indicating that while the host strain may be pathogenic, this pathogenicity is not associated with our protein of interest. Furthermore, the toxicity of the M2 serotype is not well-documented. Other Group A Streptococcus serotypes, including T1M1, T28R28, and T3M3 release exotoxins associated with toxic shock syndrome; however, data about the M2 serotype is scarce. Furthermore, while HypeColl exhibits cross-reactivity with eight known allergens, these allergies are not very common.

All in all, the results indicate that HypeColl presents low-to-moderate hazard levels; that being said, further in vivo and in vitro tests should be performed for quality assurance.

To benefit other iGEM teams, we compiled the knowledge we gained about novel foods in A Synthetic Biologist’s Guide to Novel Foods.

Does HypeColl Fit the Vegan, Halal, and/or Kosher Requirements?

We summarized the key requirements for vegan, Halal, and Kosher certifications in the table below, and used them to evaluate the suitability of HypeColl as a product in each of the aforementioned categories.

Vegan Requirement	Halal Requirement	Kosher Requirement
Free of Animals and Animal Parts (LB Broth, Culture Media, etc.)	Free of Animals not Slaughtered according to Islamic Law	Free of Birds and Mammals not Slaughtered According to Jewish Law
Cells not Recently Harvested from Animals	Free of Animal Parts obtained From Animals not Slaughtered according to Islamic Law	Free of Animal Parts obtained From Animals not Slaughtered according to Jewish Law
No Animal Testing	Free of Pigs, Boars, Dogs, Snakes, Monkeys, Carnivorous Animals, Birds of Prey, Pests, Mules, Domestic Donkeys, Poisonous or Hazardous Aquatic Animals, Carrions, Undesirable Insects, or their Derivatives	Free of Reptiles, Amphibians, Mammals that Lack Split Hooves and/or Do Not Chew their Cud, Predatory Birds, Aquatic creatures that Lack Fins and Scales Worms, Insects
Use of Cleaned Equipment	Free of Blood	Free of Blood
Avoids Cross-contamination	Free of alcoholic or intoxicating substances	Avoids Manufacturing Meat and Dairy products Together
Very low	Allergenicity	Bioinformatics Analysis
Most similar protein allergen: Par ol alpha2I (collagen-derived protein), present in Paralichthys olivaceus	Cross-reactivity with known allergens: 8 (Par ol alpha2I, Bos d alpha2I, Dan re alpha2I, Onc m alpha2I, Sal s 6, Bos d Collagen 140 kD, Lat c 6)	Similarity to low allergenic protein: 0
	Use of Cleaned Equipment	Use of Cleaned Equipment
	Avoids Cross-contamination	Avoids Cross-contamination

Per the above table, HypeColl fits the criteria for Vegan, Halal, and Kosher certifications.

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Our Journey

April 17, 2023 - Dr. N. Ayyadurai

Principal Scientist, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute

Honorary Faculty - Anna University & Associate Professor - AcSIR

In April, our team and Dr. Ayyadurai discussed using bacterial expression for non-canonical amino acids in collagen-like proteins, focusing on hydroxyproline. Due to time constraints, we prioritized bacterial collagen over human collagen, with yeast-based expression for the latter. In September, successful gel results prompted a growth curve analysis and refinement of our purification protocol, guided by Dr. Ayyadurai.

June 8 - Stephanie Breunig

Graduate Student, Caltech

During the meeting with Stephanie Breunig, discussed improving incorporation efficiency by modifying the medium, expecting a 5% enhancement.Primer design considerations were also addressed, emphasizing the importance of genomic region annealing. Additionally, we gained insights into the versatile utility of tRNA synthetase genes from different strains. We explored NaCl's role as an osmoprotectant for proline in E. coli. Stephanie cautioned us about challenges when using proline analogs in protein expression, especially for globular proteins.

August 25 - Matthias Foerster

Ph.D in Chemistry, Cosmetics, and Life Science - Business Director - Geltor

The meeting with Geltor focused on their expertise in fermented proteins, primarily collagen type 21 and elastin, and insights on vegan, Halal, and Kosher protein demand. Geltor targets the beauty industry in Europe and Asia, emphasizing affordability and environmental impact. They discussed certification processes, inspiring plans for surveys, environmental analysis, animal-free production, and exploring vegan certifications.

September 11 - Professor Vijayavenkataraman Sanjairaj

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, NYUAD - Advisory Board, FoldInk

In our meeting, we discussed our plans to use engineered collagen as a scaffold for tissue engineering, addressing key questions related to 3D printing methods, bioinks, collagen structure characterization, crosslinking techniques, and post-printing processes. The discussion resulted in the selection of optimal 3D printing methodologies, the consideration of minimal collagen quantities for specific structures, and the comprehensive evaluation of rheological properties, biocompatibility, and functionalization with integrin-binding domains.

September 14 - Professor Wael Rabeh

ACS Fellow, Associate professor of Chemistry NYUAD

Professor Wael provided guidance on collagen purification and expression, addressing challenges related to solubility of collagen. The research plan outlined by the professor prioritized native collagen expression in LB medium, followed by hydroxyproline incorporation, ensuring a systematic approach within time constraints.

September 28 - The Vegan Society

During a meeting with Natacha Rodrigues from the Vegan Society, we explored the potential of bacteria-based collagen as a vegan alternative across industries. We discussed stringent vegan certification requirements, collagen sources, and the limited availability of certified products. Insights into collagen's demand in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, microbial protein classification, and certification pitfalls were gained. Natasha shared her willingness to consume collagen-like proteins, and the meeting informed our project's direction regarding vegan certification and collagen-based products.

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