BRAIN Biotech and Biodiscovery: Strategic partnership expands access to untapped enzymes for industrial application via MetXtra™

• Strategic partnership unveils broader access to biodiversity
• MetXtra™ database unlocks vast sequence space for innovative enzymes, helping customers to build strong IP and FTO positions
• Applicable for pharmaceutical, food, feed, beverage as well as industrial enzymes

October 08, 2024 / Zwingenberg, Germany and Kristiansand, Norway - BRAIN Biotech AG, a leading provider of integrated solutions for the biologization of industry, and Biodiscovery AS, a Norwegian marine bioprospecting company, announce a strategic partnership for the collection and digitization of biological data for enzyme development. The partnership will expand the MetXtraTM database to gain even greater access to unexplored biodiversity, discover new functionalities through rational bioprospection of cold deep-sea metagenomes and enhance the development of superior industrial enzymes.

BRAIN Biotech recently launched the MetXtraTM technology platform. MetXtraTM is designed to enable and optimize biocatalytic processes, develop novel enzyme solutions, and support the generation of new and broad Intellectual Property (IP) positions and Freedom to Operate (FTO). It leverages a proprietary Nagoya-compliant metagenomic database containing 99.8% novel sequences not found in public databases. This allows customers to access unique genetic diversity and discover new enzymes for pharmaceutical, food, feed, beverage und further industrial markets. Biodiscovery AS will sample deep-sea metagenomes across a variety of locations and water depths in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea adding extensive data to the existing library making it even more powerful.

Alexander Pelzer, Head of R&D looks forward: “BRAIN Biotech and Biodiscovery AS will leverage their combined expertise to make new enzymes industrially accessible and viable, unlocking innovative opportunities for BRAIN Biotech’s customers. This will deliver significant value to those seeking novel, superior enzyme solutions.”

Fredrik Søreide, CEO at Biodiscovery AS adds: “This strategic collaboration aims to provide customers with access to novel enzymes while supporting the creation of FTO and IP. Enzymes sourced from deep-sea metagenomes are expected to offer unique functionalities and valuable properties for various industrial applications.”

Development and manufacturing of novel enzymes in the BRAIN Biotech Group

MetXtra™ is fully integrated into the BRAIN Biotech Group´s enzyme development pipeline featuring excellent enzyme engineering capabilities, industrial enzyme production strains, scale-up technologies, and enzyme manufacturing at Biocatalysts Ltd to enable end-to-end services from enzyme discovery to commercial production.

More information about MetXtraTM via the web link BRAIN Biotech´s MetXtra technology platform or on the company website at: https://www.brain-biotech-group.com/en/news-media/

+++

About BRAIN Biotech

BRAIN Biotech AG is a leading provider of integrated solutions and products in the field of industrial biotechnology. The company specializes in enzymes and proteins, microbial production strains and bioprocesses for biotechnological production methods. BRAIN Biotech focuses on the growth markets of nutrition and life sciences as well as on innovative solutions for environment issues. BRAIN Biotech AG is the parent company of the international BRAIN Biotech Group. Its business activities are divided into three segments: 1. BioProducts: Production and sale of specialty enzymes and proteins; 2. BioScience: Customized solutions based on enzyme engineering, production strain and bioprocess development, and screening for bioactive compounds; 3. BioIncubator: Pipeline of research-intensive development projects. For production, the Group operates fermentation plants in the UK and other production facilities in continental Europe and the USA. BRAIN Biotech has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since February 9, 2016 (ticker: BNN; ISIN DE0005203947 / WKN 520394). The company employs around 310 people and generated revenues of EUR 55.3 million in the fiscal year 2022/23. For more information, please visit www.brain-biotech-group.com

About Biodiscovery AS

Biodiscovery AS is a private Norwegian marine bioprospecting company established in 2021. The company specializes in collecting deep-sea samples from the world's oceans. The samples are analyzed and used by biotechnology companies to develop a variety of products. For more information, please visit www.biodiscovery.no

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current views, expectations, and assumptions of the management of BRAIN Biotech AG, and are based on information currently available to the management. - Forward-looking statements are no guarantees of future performance, and entail both known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Numerous factors exist that could influence the future performance of and future developments at BRAIN Biotech AG and the BRAIN Biotech Group. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes in the general economic and competitive environment, risks associated with capital markets, currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in international and national laws and regulations, in particular with respect to tax laws and regulations, as well as other factors. - BRAIN Biotech AG does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.