The Innovators: Creatus Biosciences engineers tiny creatures to do our bidding

Credit: Creatus Biosciences

Creatus Biosciences president Dara Djafarian

Its micro-organisms produce sugar compounds with various uses

Talk about hitting the sweet spot. Creatus Biosciences has genetically engineered a new species of micro-organism to produce compounds from xylose sugars, with applications ranging from biofuels to food additives. Former BCBusiness 30 Under 30 winner Dara Djafarian, president of the Vancouver-based company, oversaw a US$1.5-million funding round early this year. In June, global publication Biofuels Digest highlighted seven-employee Creatus as a “major league prospect” in the industry.