Microbial strain collection
Over the years, Isomerase UK has curated a microbial strain collection containing >20,000 strains of eukaryotic and prokaryotic origin. We manage this proprietary strain collection using a throroughly designed relational database. This database associates the strains to experimental data, genomic sequence and specific compounds it produces. The Microbial Strain Collection originated from a variety of sources, including Biotica Technology Ltd., Cambridge University, Bath University, and biotechnology companies such as ZuvaSyntha Ltd.
Isomerase Microbial Strain Collection contains:
- novel actinomycete collection of >7000 strains,
- biotransformation collection (>1500 strains),
- extremophile collection (>2500 strains)
- additional strains from publicly available patent collections and other strain collections
Our Microbial strain collection also includes genetically engineered strains generated in-house, including our collection of industrial production hosts. These strains include bacterial, yeast and fungal hosts, which can be used in a broad range of bioproduction applications such as pharma, biotech, food, agritech, consumer goods or functional materials.
Isomerase microbial strain collection adheres to the Nagoya protocol and is available for use on collaboration projects under suitable terms.
Genome sequence library
Our expertise in purifying genomic DNA from microorganisms of different origin facilitated the generation of our genome sequence library. We work with a network of preferred partners for whole genome sequencing using the latest sequencing technologies available.
Isomerase bioinformatics team counts with the software, pipelines, and experience for bioinformatic analysis of genomic sequences. Our genome sequence library and bioinformatics expertise enable us to mine the genomic database to discover novel R&D targets. This is a unique resource for identifying novel:
- metabolic pathways for production of a large variety of products,
- biosynthetic gene clusters for heterologous expression and targeted manipulation
- enzymes for biocatalysis and biotransformation
- enzyme domains for use in targeted non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) engineering
- potential analogues of products of interest.
Moreover, our bioinformatics experts have created the software EvoSelect® specifically for enzyme activity optimisation. This machine learning enzyme engineering software is trained using our genome sequence library alongside with publicly available genomic data. Using the evolutionary information inherent in sequence alignments, this software can generate novel enzyme sequences with improved biocatalytic properties .
Finally, the strain collection includes > 7000 novel actinomycetes, which are known for being powerhouses of biosynthesis and catabolism. Consequently, we sequenced the genome of a significant portion of these strains, providing an inestimable resource for the identification of novel metabolic pathways, enzymes and biosynthetic clusters.
Contact us to know more about our microbial strain services.