Abstract
Custom-made strategy for the directed evolution of beneficial enzymes. A high-throughput platform for identifying superior enzyme variants, demonstrated by engineering herbicide-detoxifying enzyme.
Background
The global industrial enzymes market, valued at $6.4 billion in 2022, is projected to reach $8.7 billion by 20271. Agricultural applications, particularly herbicide management, represent a critical segment. Current enzyme discovery methods are time-consuming and often yield suboptimal results. Leading companies like Novozymes and BASF employ directed evolution but lack efficient screening capabilities for large variant libraries.
Key market challenges:
- Traditional enzyme optimization requires years of development
- Low success rates in finding commercially viable variants
- Limited ability to screen large enzyme libraries
- High development costs averaging $5-10M per enzyme1
Our Innovation
A revolutionary platform technology that quantitatively evaluates millions of enzyme variants to identify optimal performers has been demonstrated through the discovery of an effective alachlor-degrading enzyme from Penicillium chrysogenum.
Key advantages:
- Reduces enzyme optimization time compared to traditional methods
- Enables screening of millions of variants simultaneously
- Successfully identified novel herbicide-degrading enzyme with immediate commercial potential
- Platform adaptable across multiple industries including Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, and Biofuels
- Estimated development cost reduction compared to current methods
Potential impact: The technology could revolutionize enzyme development across industries, with immediate applications in the $30B herbicide market. The alachlor/metolachlor degrading enzyme alone addresses a significant market segment worth over $2B annually.
Technology
The platform combines advanced screening methods with proprietary selection techniques to rapidly identify and optimize enzyme variants. The first success proof is a novel synthetic enzyme that effectively degrades alachlor and potentially metolachlor herbicides.
Key technical features:
- High-throughput screening capability
- Quantitative performance assessment
- Versatile application across enzyme classes
- Scalable process from lab to industrial production
Opportunity
The researchers are looking for an industry partner to collaborate and sponsor additional research. The partner will receive an option to license the intellectual property at the end of the RD.
