Dyadic International has announced that it has extended its collaboration with The Scripps Research Institute by entering into an agreement to re-annotate the genome of Dyadic's C1 fungus (C1).
This agreement is a continuation of the relationship between the two organisations that began in March 2006 when Dyadic engaged Scripps to annotate the C1 genome for the first time.
The results of this initial project, in combination with advances made by Dyadic, have provided necessary information for Dyadic to discover and develop more efficient enzyme products and solutions.
It also established C1 as a versatile technology platform (the C1 Platform Technology), which has subsequently been licensed by Dyadic on a non-exclusive basis to Abengoa Bioenergy New Technologies and Codexis to produce enzymes and proteins on a commercial scale at higher yields and at lower costs.
Since the initial annotation project, the genomic and computational tools available to Scripps and Dyadic have improved.
During this time, Dyadic has also re-sequenced its C1 genome, which has provided greater knowledge of this organism.
Dyadic intends to use this research to continue developing and manufacturing enzyme products for the bioenergy, food and feed, pulp and paper, and textile markets, while also leveraging its technologies for use in the biopharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries.
The annotation of Dyadic's re-sequenced C1 genome will be conducted at Scripps Florida under the direction of Bruce Pascal, principal investigator on collaborative proposal and senior scientific engineer.
Researchers from Dyadic Nederland, Dyadic's research and development arm in the Netherlands, will continue to work closely with researchers from Scripps Florida during this project.
'The re-annotated C1 genome developed with Scripps Florida will provide Dyadic and its commercial partners with a more accurate blueprint of the C1 fungal strain that serves as the primary engine for Dyadic's growth,' said Mark Emalfarb, Dyadic's chief executive.
'This research will help Dyadic make greater quantities of more efficient enzymes and proteins at lower costs to help provide solutions to problems facing the world such as using cellulosic ethanol to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
'In the biopharmaceutical industry, we intend to further utilise our technologies to help develop antibodies and other therapeutic proteins in a shorter time, at larger volumes and at lower costs.
'This collaboration also further underscores the strong relationship between Dyadic and Scripps as well as Dyadic's continued commitment to the development of a successful biotechnology cluster in south Florida,' he added.
'Our goal is to facilitate the analysis and interpretation of complex data to ultimately create value from the C1 fungal genome,' said Bruce Pascal of Scripps Florida.
'We also intend to leverage the platform developed on this project for genomic research at Scripps,' he added.
