R&D : Overview

Proprietary Discovery and Laboratory Evolution Technologies Enable Verenium to Produce Novel Products

Tapping into the Vast Genetic Reservoir Provided by Nature's Most Abundant Resource: Microbial Organisms

In the quest to discover novel products, Verenium, through bioprospecting, taps into the vast genetic resources of the microbial world by venturing into varied and often hostile ecosystems, such as volcanoes and deep sea hydrothermal vents, to collect the microbial genes that produce enzymes. Because the temperature and pH conditions in which these microbes live often mimic those found in today's industrial processes, they are a rich source of potential products. Through the use of proprietary technologies, we extract microbial DNA directly from collected samples to avoid the slow and often impossible task of trying to culture individual microbes in a laboratory. With high-throughput screening, we then mine our collection of billions of microbial genes in search of unique enzymes. Once identified, these enzymes can be optimized for targeted application using Verenium's DirectEvolution^® technology.

DirectEvolution^® technology

Using cutting-edge, proprietary genomic technologies, Verenium discovers and optimizes novel protein-based products. We tap into diverse ecosystems, such as volcanoes, rain forests, and deep sea hydrothermal vents to collect DNA from the microorganisms that dwell there. We mine our collection of billions of microbial genes using our suite of advanced robotic screening systems to identify product candidates that can be optimized for commercial use by applying our industry-leading laboratory evolution platform, called DirectEvolution^® technology. By combining discovery with laboratory evolution technologies, Verenium has successfully commercialized and developed a robust collection of enzyme products.

With our suite of patented and proprietary technologies, Verenium is well-positioned to meet the unique product demands for the biofuels, specialty industrial processes and animal nutrition and health markets.