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Biotechnology method for Organic Fine Chemicals (OFC) compounds manufacturing for license or research agreement

Country of Origin: Poland
Reference Number: TOPL20171122003
Publication Date: 12 December 2017

Summary

A researcher from University in South West Poland invented a biotechnology method for OFC manufacturing where cyanobacteria are used as biocatalysts. It is an ecological and cheaper method (than chemical synthesis) to receive fine chemicals with high optical purity and conversion degree, synthesized with very good yield. It can be successfully used to support pharmaceuticals or chemicals manufacturing. The interested cooperation types are license and research cooperation agreement.

Description

The technology invented by a scientist from well-known Polish University is a method for manufacturing the OFC using different strains of cyanobacteria. The solution is addressed to companies involved in pharmaceuticals or chemicals manufacturing.



Traditional synthesis methods are still the main way to obtain important chemical derivatives that consist valuable compounds to pharmacy, biotechnology or are used as substrates to further synthesis. However, such synthesis presents few important problems: usually chemical catalysts are very expensive, present high toxicity and the synthesis itself is time-consuming.



As a substitute to traditional methods, biocatalysts are implemented for pharmaceutical and biotechnology purposes where high yielding, enantio-, stereo-, and chemoselective reactions are critical.



The invented biocatalysis method is an effective substitute to a standard chemical synthesis. Two strains of selected photoautotrophic microorganisms are used as biocatalysts. After pre-cultivation, phosphonate substrates are transformed into chiral derivatives. General procedure of biotransformation is based on adding substrate into specific cyanobacteria culture and incubating the mixture. Then, it is necessary to remove the biomass and purify the finished product with chromatography methods. Optical purity of the final product is confirmed with 31P NMR spectroscopy.



The main goal of commercialization of this technology is to develop and apply proposed solution to the real manufacturing process by selling know how or offering other types of cooperation (implementation support, knowledge transfer, etc.).



Justification of selected cooperation types:

1.	License agreement – the University offers new, innovative technology that can be licensed and implemented at present level (small scale).  

2.	 Research cooperation agreement – offered technology can be further developed and upgraded by cooperation between University and potential technology consumer.

Advantages and Innovations

Biocatalytic reduction, as opposed to traditional organic synthesis, presents many advantages: 

•	the reaction is leading to derivatives with absolute configuration which determine high-quality compounds’ properties

•	high optical priority – excellent enantioselectivity up to ee≥88%

•	high 91% yield in laboratory scale, while typically catalyzed synthesis reaction yield is only 60%

•	low toxicity by reducing the amount of ‘aggressive chemical components’ 

•	low costs of manufacturing by replacing artificial light with solar energy to illuminate microorganisms (fotobiocatalyst)

•	use of ecological catalyst – by using strains of cyanobacteria as a biocatalyst there is a possibility to eliminate chiral catalysts which are very expensive and in a majority of cases present high toxicity 

•	CO2 reduction by using fotobiocatalyst

Stage Of Development

Under development/lab tested

Stage Of Development Comment

The invention was tested in laboratory scale using:

-	Erlenmayer’s flask 

-	simplified batch reactor 

-	simplified flow bioreactor

Requested partner

Field of activity of the potential Partner: chemical or biotechnological process implementation. Invention is addressed mainly to pharmaceutical, chemical or biotechnology company responsible for drug/special chemicals synthesis. 



Role of the partner: The research team is looking for a partner who would be interested in licensing and implementing new technology with cooperative and professional approach (license agreement) The offered technology can be further developed and upgraded by cooperation between partners (research cooperation agreement).



The aim is to transfer and develop the technology on the market.