Genomatica Licenses TeselaGen Software for DNA Design
San Francisco and San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 09, 2013 -- Genomatica and TeselaGen have signed a multi-year agreement to license TeselaGen’s software, which uses synthetic biology approaches to build and modify DNA. The two companies also will work together to enhance TeselaGen’s software to meet Genomatica’s objectives.
By using TeselaGen’s technology, Genomatica expects to accelerate development of its proprietary organisms. These organisms are an important part of the overall process technology that Genomatica delivers to its licensees for the production of major chemicals from renewable feedstocks. TeselaGen’s software provides an advanced biological computer aided design and manufacture system, with automated DNA design and assembly protocol generation.
“Genomatica’s deep expertise in microbial strain development is very valuable to TeselaGen as we develop our software to solve real problems faced by industrial biologists,” said Michael Fero, CEO, TeselaGen. “Our academic roots have given us a firm platform on which to build, but now we’re focused on meeting the needs of industrial customers working to solve very difficult practical problems. This new relationship with Genomatica is ideal from our perspective.”
“TeselaGen’s experience and capabilities in automated DNA design and cloning will be very helpful to Genomatica as we continue to advance high-throughput technologies for strain engineering,” said Mark Burk, CTO, Genomatica. “We have seen many different technologies emerging in this space, and TeselaGen brought clear, distinct and compelling value.”
About Genomatica
Genomatica is a widely-recognized technology leader for the chemical industry. It delivers new manufacturing processes that enable its licensee partners to produce the world’s most widely-used chemicals a ‘better way’ from renewable feedstocks, with better economics and greater sustainability than petroleum-based processes.
Genomatica’s first process, for BDO, is now commercial. Genomatica’s BDO process was used to make 5 million pounds of BDO in late 2012, and has been licensed by both BASF and Novamont. Multiple companies, including Toray, Lanxess and Far Eastern New Century, have confirmed that BDO produced using Genomatica’s process can be used the exact same way for downstream products as petro-chemicals, accelerating adoption. Genomatica is also developing processes for other high-volume chemicals: the next is for butadiene, with Versalis as partner.
Genomatica’s recognition includes the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation award, ICIS Top 40 ‘Ones to Watch’, the EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, and being voted #1 Hottest two years in a row by Biofuels Digest.
About TeselaGen
TeselaGen is a new venture in synthetic biology housed at the QB3 incubator at UCSF. TeselaGen is building a "Design to DNA" fully automated system for designing and building complex DNA molecules and combinatorial DNA libraries. The system constitutes a rapid prototyping system for biology enabling companies to build better biologic drugs to cure disease, and more sustainable chemicals and biofuels to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
TeselaGen’s first offering is a “software as a service” computer aided design tool to help companies design complex protocols for the assembly of DNA libraries. Future plans, supported by the National Science Foundation, include integration of the assembler output with automation for building DNA libraries of arbitrary length and complexity without human intervention.
TeselaGen’s recognition includes a Bio-IT World Best Practices Award in 2013.
Michael Fero, TeselaGen, http://www.teselagen.com, +1 (650) 704-6531, [email protected]
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