Ginkgo Bioworks and the Public Health Center of the Ukraine Ministry of Health Announce Collaboration to Implement Biosecurity Capabilities in Ukraine

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Jan 17, 2023, 07:00 ET

The collaboration will launch a pilot program for wastewater-based pathogen monitoring to support critical public health needs

BOSTON and KYIV, Ukraine, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, and the Public Health Center of the Ukraine Ministry of Health today announced a new collaboration to conduct a wastewater testing pilot program in Ukraine with the intent to help provide early warning for infectious disease outbreaks and enable rapid and strategic public health intervention.

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the strain on health infrastructure in Ukraine due to the war, the risk of infectious diseases spreading in the country has increased. Through this partnership, Ginkgo is building upon the large-scale pathogen monitoring platform developed by its biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, to implement a nimble, on-the-ground biosecurity program for monitoring of biological threats found in critical wastewater systems. The program can be utilized to address biosecurity gaps during acute moments of crisis, where public health infrastructure has been affected by adverse circumstances.

This pilot program is aimed at providing the Ukraine Ministry of Health and other public health authorities with continuous data on pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza in order to inform decisions to help reduce the infectious disease burden on the Ukrainian population and healthcare infrastructure. In preparation for launching the planned pilot this winter, Concentric will coordinate with a Ukraine-based partner to design and manage program operations in selected urban centers.

"The current crisis in Ukraine and the targeted destruction of its healthcare infrastructure underscore the need for rapid biosecurity response capabilities that can be deployed globally. Ginkgo recognizes the urgency around establishing an early warning system for pathogens that can help mitigate the strain that infectious disease can cause in vulnerable settings," said Matt McKnight, General Manager, Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks. "We are grateful to be able to partner with the Public Health Center of the Ukraine Ministry of Health to implement this novel response program and provide critical data to help public health leaders make well-informed decisions."

Oksana Koshalko, Head of the Department of Organization of Epidemiological Surveillance of the Public Health Center of the Ukraine Ministry of Health, notes, "The simultaneous impacts of the war, the destruction of our health infrastructure, and the COVID-19 pandemic among other pathogens, have increased the Ukrainian people's exposure to biosecurity risks. We are dedicated to working hard to support our people's well-being as well as minimizing all risks and safeguarding public health through these extreme circumstances. Working with Concentric allows us to leverage innovative solutions to support our health system and our citizens' well-being during a time of uncertainty."

About Ginkgo Bioworks

Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve challenges for organizations across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty chemicals. Ginkgo's biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, is building global infrastructure for biosecurity to empower governments, communities, and public health leaders to prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological threats. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com and concentricbyginkgo.com, read our blog, or follow us on social media channels such as Twitter (@Ginkgo and @ConcentricByGBW), Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks and @ConcentricByGinkgo), or LinkedIn.

About the Public Health Center of the Ukraine Ministry of Health

State Institution "Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine" (UPHC) is a healthcare institution responsible for maintaining and strengthening public health, social and hygienic monitoring of diseases, epidemiological surveillance and biological safety, group and population prevention of morbidity, epidemic control and strategic management in the field of public health. It was formed in pursuance of the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated September 18, 2015 No. 604. The main task of the UPHC is activities in the field of public health. The UPHC performs treatment and prevention, scientific, practical, organizational and methodological functions in the field of healthcare in order to ensure the quality of treatment of patients with socially dangerous diseases, in particular HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis, drug addiction, viral hepatitis, etc., disease prevention in the context of development public health systems. UPHC participates in the formation of regulatory policy and interacts with other ministries, research institutions, international, public organizations working in the field of public health and combating socially dangerous diseases.

Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential success of the partnership and Ginkgo's biosecurity platform. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business, (ii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and to identify and realize additional business opportunities, (iii) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (iv) the unpredictability of the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demand for COVID-19 testing and the commercial viability of our COVID-19 testing business, (v) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations, and (vi) our ability to realize the expected benefits of merger and acquisition transactions. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on November 14, 2022 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

GINKGO MEDIA CONTACT:
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GINKGO INVESTOR CONTACT:
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PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER OF UKRAINE MINISTRY OF HEALTH CONTACT:
[email protected]

SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks