Isomerase has been featured in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News as an innovator applying synthetic biology to transform drug discovery and development. The article, “Biopharma Embraces Synthetic Biology,” explores how emerging platforms are reshaping everything from gene therapies and programmable cell therapies to AI-driven small-molecule discovery and engineered microbes.
Read the article here.
Synthetic Biology Moves Center Stage
Synthetic biology applies engineering principles, design, build, test, learn, to living systems, enabling biology to become more predictable and programmable. Initially driving progress in agriculture, biofuels, and chemicals, this approach is now accelerating breakthroughs in biopharma.
Engineering Microbes for Smarter Bioprocesses
Within this landscape, Isomerase stands out for its expertise in engineering microbes and microbial pathways to deliver new medicines and sustainable manufacturing routes. As Andy Budde, Business Development Associate at Isomerase, notes, the future lies in treating living cells as programmable platforms - combining biology with chemistry, engineering, and data science.
Isomerase partners with clients to:
- Discover, modify, and scale enzymes, proteins, peptides, small molecules, and natural products
- Translate early biological concepts into robust clinical and commercial products
- Unlock complex molecules inaccessible through traditional chemistry
Natural products remain a rich but underexplored source of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Isomerase leverages synthetic biology and biocatalysis to design new routes and optimize existing ones—reducing cost, risk, and environmental impact.
This GEN feature highlights two of Isomerase’s proprietary capabilities:
- Strain engineering: Reprogramming microbial hosts at the genetic level to improve yield, robustness, and scalability
- EvoSelect® platform: A machine learning-driven directed evolution system that rapidly optimizes enzymes into efficient, commercially viable biocatalysts
By integrating these tools with fermentation development, Isomerase enables end-to-end bioprocesses — from enzyme discovery and optimization to scalable manufacturing.
Fermentation and Sustainability
Microbial fermentation offers compelling sustainability benefits:
- Reduces reliance on harsh solvents and surfactants
- Lowers energy consumption and waste
- Enables cleaner, more selective transformations
Sustainability and efficiency are not trade-offs; they are deeply interconnected. Biological routes often prove more cost-effective and open access to compounds previously impractical or impossible to synthesize.
Shaping the Future of Biopharma
As synthetic biology gains momentum, Isomerase is proud to contribute its expertise in engineered microbes, biocatalysis and fermentation to help partners deliver the next generation of medicines and bioprocesses.
Interested in exploring how Isomerase can support your synthetic biology or biocatalysis programs? Get in touch with us today.