Sunflower Therapeutics
Sunflower Therapeutics is a women-owned and led biotechnology public benefit corporation founded in 2018, dedicated to democratizing access to protein manufacturing worldwide. The company develops next-generation, automated, and fully-integrated protein manufacturing solutions that simplify the process from discovery to full-scale biomanufacturing. Their mission is to make high-quality, cost-effective therapeutics, vaccines, and protein-based products accessible globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, by leveraging innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and intuitive equipment. Sunflower’s vision is to transform the global health landscape by enabling more medicines and protein products to reach patients and consumers everywhere. Their core technologies include efficient microbial hosts, data-driven process development, and modular manufacturing facilities, supporting agile, rapid, and cost-effective production cycles for a wide range of protein-based products.
Sunflower Therapeutics
Sunflower Therapeutics PBC, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Patents
What We Do
A fully automated, benchtop bioreactor system for continuous protein production using perfusion fermentation. Designed for intuitive use, it enables high-yield, hands-free protein manufacturing for R&D, drug development, synthetic biology, and diagnostics. The system is scalable and supports rapid process optimization. Features include a patented in-vessel cell retention device, single-use assemblies, comprehensive automation by HelianthOS™, and cloud-based process planning with Nursery™.
A large-scale, integrated perfusion fermentation system for immediate process scale-up from the Daisy Petal™. It delivers hundreds of liters of output in a small footprint, is fully automated by HelianthOS™, and uses proprietary single-use parts for sustainability and efficiency. Ideal for clinical and commercial manufacturing.
Central operating system for Sunflower’s bioprocess equipment, automating fermentation campaigns, providing manual override, real-time dashboard, and comprehensive data logging for traceability and compliance.
A tool for designing and modifying fermentation process recipes, monitoring process data, managing access, and generating comprehensive reports for process improvement.
A secure, flexible data storehouse for all campaign data, supporting local or cloud storage, regulatory compliance, and easy data transfer and archiving.
A single-use consumable assembly for the Daisy Petal™ system, protected by U.S. Patent 11,801,477, designed for intuitive installation and optimized for in-vessel perfusion.
Application Area
Regenerative Medicine
Biologics
Digital Health Technologies
Key People
Founder, CEO & President
Founder
Founder, Chairman of the Board
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Director of R&D
News & Updates
The Daisy Petal™ Perfusion Bioreactor System was recognized for its innovation, scalability, and accessibility in microbial protein production, winning the prestigious BioTech Breakthrough Award in 2024.
Received grants to optimize the Dahlia™ small-footprint protein manufacturing system and de-risk several protein candidates for cost-effective manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries.
Received funding to develop deployable, right-sized manufacturing systems for vaccine component production, including a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Awarded a $5.7 million extension of an existing contract with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense to develop a Biologics on Demand manufacturing prototype, increasing the total contract value to $10.5 million. This supports the development of modular, automated manufacturing systems for rapid, agile production of protein-based medical countermeasures.
Donated $25,000 of 2020 profits to four non-profit organizations supporting global health, vaccine distribution, and COVID-19 relief.
Interview with Kerry Love, co-founder and CEO, on how automation enhances protein manufacturing.