Protéus by Seqens launches SEQENZYM®

Protéus by Seqens launches SEQENZYM®, Enzyme Kits selected among an extensive library of Extremophile Strains for Fast Early Screening of Biocatalysts

Demand for early stage screening and identification of biocatalysts is growing

Seqens, announced the launch of 7 SEQENZYM® enzyme kits selected among an extensive panel of extremophile strains from around the world.  The kit is developed by Protéus, subsidiary of the Group SEQENS and is specialized in biotechnologies. The easy-to-use enzyme kits can accelerate screening of enzymes for molecules synthesis transformations by facilitating rapid assessment. Doing so enables drug developers, chemists and agri-food manufacturers to more closely adhere to their own or clients’ specifications. These include conversion rate, selectivity, operating conditions and kinetics, among others.

Enzymatic synthesis for better results

In today’s pharmaceutical drug development, molecule synthesis often integrates multiple chiral centers, adding greater complexity to the process.  Synthetic chemists have the choice of using chemo- or biocatalysts.  Due to recent advances, they now often choose enzymatic synthesis over classic chemistry synthesis. This avoids costly pitfalls such as the need to develop techniques for complex purification and loss of unwanted chiral molecules. 

Biocatalysis at the heart of process development

Industrial and academic researchers producing chiral pharmaceutical intermediates, APIs, as well as specialty chemicals, are incorporating these enzymatic technologies at the early stage of process development to fully address the chirality issue and allow shorter synthesis pathways.  As well, biocatalysis enables researchers to perform reactions within less drastic conditions. It leads to very high conversion rates often approaching 100% for enantiomeric targets.  Overall, process economy is achievable at industrial scale.

Our Seqenzym® kits are among many initiatives to expand offerings and capabilities throughout the Seqens network. Pharmaceutical chemists and biochemists have expressed a strong need in this field.  We are dedicated to accelerating their projects from early research and development stages to production and sales in key markets that also include cosmetics and specialty ingredients.

Enzyme kits available to accelerate industrial developments

The kits will each include a class of enzymes ranging from the most classic (lipases / esterases, alcohol dehydrogenases, transaminases) to more recent generations (ene reductases, dehalogenases, epoxide hydrolases, etc.). 

After testing the enzymes on their own, SEQENZYM® Kit users will have the options to:

• Scale-up when the hit is already matching the targeted performance
• Optimize or improve the hit:
  • Enlarge the screening with additional enzymes from Protéus exclusive collection
  • Improve the enzyme performance and activity using Protéus patented directed evolution methodologies (Evosight™ or L-Shuffling™)
  • Design Of Experiments methodology to identify optimal reaction conditions

The seven enzyme kits will be available for pre order in December 2019, with more to be added as soon as new enzymes are available. 

We aim to support manufacturers not only in their need to improve enzyme performance, but also in helping them achieve such ambitious objectives as bringing to market highest purity commercial products developed with the most efficient processes