The team at Isomerase has access to a large collection of microbial strains, genome sequences, microbial genome editing and bioinformatics tools all provided within our strain engineering services. Our skilled scientists use a variety of techniques to facilitate a wide range of research projects across pharma and biotech, consumer goods, agritech, food and ingredients and functional materials.
Our focus is to understand the strain. Isomerase strain collection has been developed over the years using genomic tools and traditional culture methods. Additionally, we engineer biology to deliver new routes to commercially attractive strains and products, with improved quality profiles, generation of analogs and reduced costs.What is strain engineering?
Following analysis of a strain genome sequence, synthetic biology tools or more traditional microbiological approaches can be used to modify the genetic code of the strain to alter the expression and production profile of target proteins, enzymes and biosynthetic pathways.
Why choose Isomerase for your synthetic biology project or strain engineering services?
Isomerase was one of the first synthetic biology service companies when it was founded over 10 years ago. Since then, we have maintained our innovative approaches by investing in skills, equipment and technology.
Our strain engineering services typically combine de novo synthesis of DNA with growing knowledge of genomics. As a result, we create novel strains, processes, and products with increased interest and value. We utilize both public genome databases and proprietary genome sequences from our own strain collection. The Isomerase strain collection contains over 20,000 Nagoya protocol-compliant prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes collected over the last few decades.
Further, improvements in the speed and cost of DNA synthesis and strain engineering technologies have allowed us to generate novel and faster processes and products. We can now supply synthetic biology services more cost-effectively than ever before. As a synthetic biology company and innovation partner, we work with a range of DNA synthesis providers, depending on the requirements. We have experience working with highly complex DNA sequences and systems.
We help businesses conduct research by providing specialized expertise and services that can accelerate the pace of discovery and development. Certainly, outsourcing different aspects to a synthetic biology CRO allows businesses to focus on project areas where their mastery lies. Furthermore, we provide access to specialized equipment and technologies that may not be cost-effective to maintain on site. Indeed, our synthetic biology consulting can help businesses conduct research in this impactful area more efficiently and effectively.
Our aim is to simplify synthetic biology to make these complex technologies widely available to our partners.
How can Isomerase as a synthetic biology CRO help partners?
Isomerase, can help businesses by providing access to a complex field via a range of strain engineering services and consultancy support, including DNA design and synthesis, gene editing, strain engineering services and protein or enzyme engineering. These services can help businesses develop new products and optimise existing ones, replacing heritage chemical processes with products, or enabling access to entirely new products with improved properties.
We can use our expertise to design synthetic DNA constructs that can be used to express existing or new proteins with desired properties. Gene-editing technologies can be used to modify the genomes of microorganisms, which can optimise metabolic pathways or develop new bioproduction platforms.
We help businesses conduct research by providing specialised expertise and services that can accelerate the pace of discovery and development. By outsourcing certain aspects of research to a Synthetic Biology CRO, businesses can instead focus on the aspects of the project where their expertise lies.
We also provide consulting services to help businesses develop and plan how to use Synthetic Biology, improve their research strategies and experimental designs and provide access to specialised equipment and technologies that may not be cost-effective for businesses to have on their own sites. This can help businesses conduct research in this impactful area more efficiently and effectively.
How can Isomerase as a synthetic biology CRO help partners?
Isomerase, as a synthetic biology CRO and innovation partner, can provide businesses with access to a complex field via a range of services and consultancy support. We designed our synthetic biology services and strain engineering services to help our collaborators fulfill their goals through the power of synthetic biology. Our consulting can help businesses develop new products and optimize existing ones. These services help replace traditional chemical processes and enable access to new or improved products.
We can help you by:
- Designing synthetic DNA constructs that can be used to express existing or new proteins with desired properties.
- Using genome-editing technologies to modify the genomes of microorganisms,
- Optimizing metabolic pathways or develop new bioproduction platforms,
- Expressing of proteins, enzymes and peptides in a scalable manner using our IsoChassisTM hosts
Moreover, synthetic biology often involves processing large amounts of biological data. Our bioinformatics team perform computational analysis and data interpretation to support synthetic biology R&D. For example, our proprietary technology, Evoselect® is a machine learning platform for enzyme engineering. This software uses machine learning to help design new enzymes for use in biocatalysis or improve the properties of existing enzymes. It uses evolutionary information inherent in sequence alignments of a homology family to generate novel aminoacid sequences with improved characteristics.
Finally, our experience in developing and scaling upstream (USP) and downstream (DSP) bioprocesses allows us to consideration of these aspects from the initial design.
Examples of strain engineering services we offer
In the past, our collaborators have used our strain engineering services for:
- Targeted deletion of genes or metabolic pathways. E.g. make processes more productive by removing undesirable enzyme activities.
- Overexpression of specific genes or pathways. This strategy allows expression of new products or can improve the titres of existing products which are of interest.
- Direct engineering of modular enzymes. Recommended to produce novel products, such as polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides or enzymes.
- Machine learning enzyme engineering for the generation of novel or optimization of existing enzymes with improved characteristics. E.g. improved stability, activity, etc.
- Random mutagenesis using chemicals mutagens or UV to introduce alterations in the genome. A classical approach for the generation of strains with improved product titer.
- Design, generation, and expression of biosynthetic pathways. The combination of genes from different biosynthetic pathways in an industrial strain generates novel product or activities.
- Scalable production of proteins, enzymes and peptides using our IsoChassisTM hosts
- Expression of metagenomic enzymes. Metagenomic sequences are isolated from environmental samples. Our bioinformatics team identifies genes encoding specific enzymes in silico, which are then synthesized and expressed in industrial strains such as our IsoChassisTM hosts
- Genome editing to generate novel microbial strains. By eliminating or modifying genes involved in specific metabolic pathways, we can improve the final quality attributes of the product
For instance, our partners use our synthetic biology services to test novel genetic contruct prototypes, engineer cells for specific applications, or optimize production processes.
Why choose Isomerase?
Our team are highly experienced at both fungal and prokaryotic microbial strain engineering, utilising our decades of experience and modern gene editing technologies. In particular, we are highly adept at working with environmental or novel strains, where there is limited information about genetic engineering methods.
We have over 10 years of experience running exceptional collaborations and partnerships with large and small pharmaceutical and biotech companies, agrochemical companies, academic institutions as well as other organisations in a wide range of sectors.
These collaborations have allowed our partners to access a diverse range of expertise, and resources, as well as enhancing their ability to develop and commercialise new products.