HydRegen

HydRegen is pioneering a novel #biotechnology that utilises the best and most robust components from nature to drive a step-change in #sustainable chemical manufacturing. A 2021 spinout from the University of Oxford, HydRegen offers the potential for cleaner, safer, faster and cheaper @chemical manufacture.

The chemicals sector underpins almost all manufacturing industries, turning raw materials into the chemicals we rely on every day, like medicines, flavours and fragrances for our foods and cosmetics and more. But the sector is under a lot of pressure, from political, societal, regulatory and financial bodies to clean up and address its sustainability issues. HydRegen is passionate about reducing the environmental impact of chemical manufacturing and committed to enabling companies across the chemicals sector to improve their energy and resource efficiency whilst moving towards continuous manufacturing processes.

The novel and patent-protected biotechnologies were first demonstrated by co-founder and CEO, Holly Reeve, during her undergraduate and PhD research at the University of Oxford and has since been taken from academic demonstrations to disruptive, industry-ready advanced manufacturing tools. With a specialised knowledge of complex biological systems, its proprietary #enzyme-based platform enables the power source for biocatalysis to be switched from glucose to #hydrogen gas, reducing its environmental impact. By replacing finite resources for hydrogenation reactions, like metal catalysts, with environmentally and economically sustainable alternatives, it is enabling energy-intensive businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.

HydRegen’s biotechnologies bring together #EU capabilities in modern chemical manufacturing and the rapidly growing bio-manufacturing ecosystem, uniquely allowing the chemical precision of biology to be implemented in existing chemical manufacturing infrastructure. Using ground-breaking technologies, HydRegen is at the forefront of pioneering bio-based metal replacements in hydrogenation reactions to enable these processes to be conducted under safer, more energy-efficient conditions with renewable biocatalysts. By addressing the unmet needs in industrial decarbonisation, HydRegen is enabling the uptake of innovative technologies that will play a critical part in the chemical sector meeting #NetZero 2050 goals across the EU, #UK and ultimately globally.

Protein Design Lab (Weizmann Institute)

Sarel Fleishman is a professor and head of the Protein Design Lab (https://lnkd.in/d2Su-kEK) at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The lab specializes in developing one-shot methods for designing #enzymes and #biologics. Some of the methods developed by the lab, such as PROSS and FuncLib, have become state-of-the-art in computational optimization of protein stability, expression levels, and activity. These and other tools are accessible to all scientists through web servers (https://lnkd.in/dsbe2zHY) and have resulted in more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and patent filings. These methods have served as the basis for founding two #biotechnology startups: Scala Biodesign specializes in optimizing biologics and enzymes, and Plantae Bioscience optimizes the health and nutritional value of crops.

The W-BioCat project will put the reliability of the lab’s design methods to a stringent test. Instead of designing just one enzyme at a time, this project calls for co-optimization of an entire enzymatic pathway. The lab will combine new methods in #AI-based structure prediction of enzymes with its proven methods for improving heterologous expression levels and specific activity. It will collaborate with other teams in the consortium to select the most promising enzyme targets for design, test the predictions, and improve the designs.

The ability to design optimal enzymatic pathways will be a landmark for promoting #sustainable #biocatalytic solutions to complex chemical synthesis challenges. We are eager to contribute to this effort!

Kick-off meeting!

Last week we kicked off the W-BioCat project with a dynamic hybrid meeting (online and in person in Delft, The Netherlands) 🚀

18 experts from Delft University of Technology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Università degli Studi di Firenze, University of Oxford, EvoEnzyme, HydRegen, together with the Industrial Advisory Board formed by Evonik, Axxence, and ChainCraft will focus on the development of tungsten-containing enzymes for application in a sustainable chemical industry. The project is supported by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

During the meeting, we delved into crucial aspects for the W-BioCat project and set the foundation for a successful journey ahead:

📋 Project Plan: Setting the roadmap to navigate through the project objectives and outcomes.

🔍 Data Management Plan: Ensuring the effective handling, storage, and sharing of our project data.

📡 Communication and Dissemination Plan: Strategizing how we'll share our progress, findings, and new methods with the wider community.

💡 IP Strategy and Exploitation Plan: Safeguarding the intellectual property while maximizing its potential for impact.

In addition, two Public Lectures were attended by more than 45 people. Maurice Oltheten from ChainCraft gave a lecture on “Turning chemistry circular” and Kylie Vincent from University of Oxford on “Exploiting hydrogenase in biotechnology enables hydrogen as a cleaner reductant”.

Finally, we went on a Lab Tour to explore Delft University of Technology facilities and resources.

Looking forward to the exciting journey ahead!