Igene Biotechnology, Inc. focuses on the research, development, production, and commercialization of specialty ingredients for human and animal nutrition. The company supplies natural astaxanthin, a nutrient used as a source of pigment for coloring farmed salmon and trout species. It also supplies ingredients and finished products to the nutraceutical and feed industry. The company also provides research and development services for microbial strain improvement and fermentation process development and scale up from shake flask, to pilot plant, to commercial sized fermentors; and analytical chemistry services for identification and quantization of carotenoids in foods, feeds, and animal tissues, including verification of wild versus farm raised salmonids. The company was formerly known as IGI Biotechnology, Inc. and changed its name to IGENE Biotechnology, Inc. in April 1986. IGENE Biotechnology, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is based in Columbia, Maryland.