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Enzymicals AG and the Institute of Marine Biotechnology e.V. establish cooperation
Posted On: June 14, 2011Enzymicals AG, an emerging company in the field of industrial (white) biotechnology, and the Institute of Marine Biotechnology e.V. (IMaB), an association in the area of marine (blue) biotechnology, have signed a comprehensive agreement to cooperate in the future. The two institutions, both located in Greifswald, Germany, combine their competencies in the commercialization of alternative expression systems and functional genome analysisfor the production of fine chemicals. The signed contract includes the joint use of innovative technologies for the identification and production of novel enzymes from aquatic sources, among others. Dormant potentials of marine habitats for biotransformations can be deciphered and brought into market by the focused application of proteomics-based biotechnology, says Prof. Dr. Thomas Schweder of the IMaB. Together with Enzymicals AG, we can offer our expertise in the field of de novo genome sequencing and gene annotation to a wide audience as a service.
Biotec Pharmacon subsidiary ArcticZymes receives Norwegian grant to develop new marine enzymes for research and diagnostics
Posted On: April 15, 2011Biotec Pharmacon subsidiary, ArcticZymes AS, has received a grant of MNOK 7.2 from the Research Council of Norway for a project with the title “Development of new marine enzymes for research and diagnostics”. The total project budget is 14.4 MNOK over 3 years.
The project is a user-driven innovation project in the FUGE-program aiming to establish a stronger product development platform for the development of new enzymes for use in molecular biology applications.
ArcticZymes develops, produces and sells enzymes used in molecular DNA technologies and diagnostics. The market is highly expansive, and the rapid and diversifying technological development creates a strong market demand for new and improved enzymes. ArcticZymes is involved as commercial partner in several marine bioprospecting activities that form a large source and pipeline for new commercial enzymes from the Arctic marine environment, including being a commercial partner of the Sfi MabCent consortium and the MARZymes projects at the University of Tromsø.
The strengthened pipeline of product candidates through strategic partnerships with MabCent, MARZymes and others makes it necessary to increase product development speed and capacity. The partnership with The University of Tromsø in this project will strengthen the entire product development chain and increase capacity from early stage to final product.
Norway makes another solid investment in marine biotechnology
Posted On: April 15, 2011Nofima’s bioprocessing pilot plant in Tromsø will be co-located with the new biotechnology facility being built in Kaldfjord near Tromsø and expanded from 150 m² to around 1000 m².
This expansion will enable companies to take what they do in the laboratories a step further than what is possible at Nofima’s current bioprocessing pilot plant, from production on a pilot scale to a larger scope of product and process development on both a pilot and industrial scale.
“Marine bioprospecting deals with mapping the active substances found in marine species. Marine bioprocessing involves taking a step further so that the research results in new products. The new plant will be able to assist the companies with this. This bioprocessing pilot plant will be marketed to industrial players not only nationally, but also internationally,” says project manager Even Stenberg at Nofima.
RDA Troms has allocated NOK 22 million towards the expansion. RDA is business-oriented funding scheme that was introduced when the scheme for differentiated employers’ social security contributions were phased out.
The total budget is NOK 26 million.
BioMar-Innovation Consortium signs partnership with CBB (Biotechnology Center in Bretagne, France)
Posted On: March 31, 2011BioMar-Innovation Consortium, an initiative of the Centre québécois de valorisation Biotechnology (CQVB) and Centre for Marine Biotechnology Research (MBRC) is pleased to announce a partnership with CBB (Biotechnology Center in Bretagne) .
Marine Biotechnology represents a significant growth potential on both sides of the Atlantic. The two organizations will promote interaction and networking between businesses in Quebec and France to allow the transfer and technological and business partnership. The partnership will help develop economic and technological companies in the biotechnology sector and recovery of marine aquatic biomass, both in Quebec and France.
Negotiated as part of the 2nd Symposium Franco-Quebecois competitive clusters and niches of excellence, the agreement will take effect from 1 April 2011.
Launched in 2009 by CQVB and the MBRC, BioMar-Innovation Consortium is intended to stimulate development of new products or processes in the field of marine biotechnology, within companies in Quebec to promote technology transfer and exploitation of marine biomass.
Supported financially by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export (MDEIE), which supports this initiative through ACCORD project, the Consortium BioMar-Innovation has held six meetings and networking technology, including 30% of participants were manufacturers. In addition, 13 publications were disseminated to stakeholders and the Quebec industrial area to facilitate the sharing and distribution of information technology and strategy between them. The contents of technology meetings and publications are available at CQVB.
Scottish marine science park plans are revived
Posted On: March 13, 2011Sunday Herald: A plan to build a £7 million marine science business park in Argyll, jeopardised by last year’s collapse of construction group Rok, has been revived, the Sunday Herald has learned.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has launched a tender for the first phase of its European Marine Science Park at Dunstaffnage near Oban, with a view to starting work in August, 10 months after Rok had been due to start.
The tender includes a laboratory and around 30,000sqft of office space, with plans to build the same amount of space again for a later second phase. The park, due to open in August 2012, will be aimed at marine science companies including those based at the business incubator that exists at the adjacent European Centre for Marine Biotechnology (ECMB). The incubator’s companies include Aquafarm and GlycoMar, both of which are researching the use of micro-organisms and other sea life to create cosmetics and treatments for ailments such as arthritis and MRSA.
Alex Paterson, chief executive of HIE, said that the new park and ECMB would form a cluster that includes the Scottish Association for Marine Science, which oversees research into aquatic life.
He said: “We have already got interest in [the park] from companies who are very keen to move – by and large companies from the Highlands and Islands that have international markets.”
Norway and UK sign MOU for marine biotech collaboration
Posted On: March 7, 2011Norwegian and British innovation teams signed a groundbreaking collaboration agreement at the opening session of BIOPROSP 2011 in Tromsø.
The key outcomes of this collaboration are to establish a cross-borders network, and create growth within the two countries, with an aim to meet the increasing demand for a sustainable supply of food, industrial products and fuels.
This three-year agreement will support collaboration and joint funding of research into industrial biotechnology and biorefining, with an aim to share costs across governments and maximise exploitation of research and development between the UK and Norway and across Europe, where the biotechnology market is worth around €2 trillion and employs 21.5 million people.
Preparation Begins for Construction of New Marine Biotechnology Research Facility (MARBIONC), University of North Carolina — Wilmington, NC
Posted On: March 4, 2011A request for pre-qualification submittals has gone out for construction of the Marine Biotechnology Research Facility (MARBIONC) University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC. The State of North Carolina through the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) is seeking contractor pre-qualification statements for work to be performed on a project known as the “Marine Biotechnology Research Facility (MAR- BIONC)” on the UNCW Center for Marine Science Myrtle Grove campus in Wilmington, NC.
The project consists of construction of a new 66,600 square foot Marine Biotechnology Research Laboratory building. Work will be accomplished through a Single Prime Contract. The project is partially funded by Federal a NIST grant via American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Bidding is anticipated for early spring 2011.
North Carolina: Ceremonial groundbreaking of Marine Biotechnology in North Carolina (MARBIONC) building / Grand opening of Oyster Research Hatchery
Posted On: October 10, 2010Ground-breaking ceremony for the Marine Biotechnology in North Carolina (MARBIONC) building and the grand opening of the Oyster Research Hatchery has been scheduled for October 22, 2010.
The scope of the project is to design and develop, construct and occupy a state-of-the-art research-to-product science building for the MARBIONC program at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The 69,303 sq ft 2-story building will contain 12 laboratories with contiguous 4 offices each, 3 large incubator laboratories for cultured source material, media preparation areas, administrative space, small conference rooms, and break areas with restrooms.
BIOPROSP 2011 conference charts exciting new industrial and biofuel marine bioprospecting opportunities
Posted On: October 10, 2010Registration is now open for the 5th biennial BIOPROSP 2011 conference on bioprospecting from cold marine environments, February 23 – 25 2011.
BIOPROSP 2011 is organised by the MABIT-programme in the world’s northernmost biotech hub in Tromsø, Norway.
Scientists and researchers in India urged expand mussel culture to support robust demand for green mussel extract
Posted On: October 10, 2010In his inaugural address at the winter school on ‘Vistas in marine biotechnology’ organised by the Marine Biotechnology Division at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) recently, Mr. Vasudevan, Registrar of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, said the country has been consistent in its stance that the application of science should benefit the common man.
Stating that there could be a convergence of space, environmental science, marine biotechnology through biotechnology and nanotechnology, Mr. Vasudevan said scientists can also discover the potential of the sea, if we treat it with caution. The new developments in the field have opened up new possibilities. “We need to capitalise on these developments,” he said.
Explaining that there is an ever-increasing demand for ‘GMe’ (Green Mussel extract), a neutraceutical product developed by the Marine Biotechnolgy Division of the CMFRI, Syda Rao, director of the institute, said that the transfer of technology for the product is very difficult. There is a huge demand for the product. “We require thousands of tonnes of mussel meat to manufacture it,” he said.
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