Singaporean cultivated seafood producer UMAMI Bioworks has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nippon Barrier Free, a Japanese company specializing in salmon-derived functional ingredients.
Through the partnership, the two companies will work to bring cultivated marine ingredients to the cosmetics and supplements market. Nippon Barrier Free will serve as UMAMI Bioworks’ sales and distribution partner for cosmetic and supplement ingredients across Japan and 18 other countries.
UMAMI Bioworks claims that its cultivated marine ingredients could create new possibilities for health, beauty, and wellness applications. The company announced last month that it can now develop animal-free polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) from a variety of species, including Japanese eel, sturgeon, and bluefin tuna. PDRN is a DNA-based compound used in regenerative skincare, and has traditionally been extracted from salmon milt.
“New category of sustainable marine ingredients”
In October 2025, UMAMI Bioworks launched a new line of cultivated marine supplements under its Marine Radiance™ brand, developed using the ALKEMYST™ AI platform. At around the same time, the company also announced a partnership with Qurio, a consumer beauty and wellness incubator based in Singapore. UMAMI Bioworks said the collaboration would see the launch of the first commercial product powered by its MRX1™ ingredient, a marine-based active designed to improve skin health.
The following month, UMAMI Bioworks announced the introduction of a new AI-powered Virtual Marine Cell, a cutting-edge metabolic model that enables researchers to simulate and predict the behavior of aquatic cells.
Discussing the new partnership with Nippon Barrier Free on LinkedIn, UMAMI Bioworks said, “Together, we aim to pioneer a new category of sustainable marine ingredients, expanding the boundaries of ocean-inspired innovation for both people and the planet.”
