White biotechnology / German industry collaborating closely on microbial genome research

Dusseldorf (ots) - Prominent companies in the chemicals,
pharmaceuticals and nutrition industries have come together for the
first time under the umbrella of the “Industrieverbund Mikrobielle
Genomforschung” (industry/science association to promote microbial
genome research), Dusseldorf, with the aim of advancing microbial
genome research as a technology with broad industrial application.
The work is being carried out in close cooperation with the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and academic research
groups. An international body of experts has already delivered a very
positive assessment of the first projects, which have a total volume
of 42 million euros over five years and are each financed equally by
the BMBF and industry. Over the next few years the projects will seek
to improve how efficiently micro-organisms are used in technical
processes and to develop new products from micro-organisms with new
properties.

This work will make a substantial contribution to the further
development of white biotechnology in Germany, a country that is
assuming a pioneering role in this technology both in academic
research and in industrial application. Industry and the BMBF will
provide around 600 million euros for white biotechnology projects
over the next ten years.

The Industrieverbund Mikrobielle Genomforschung is supported by
BASF, Bayer Crop Science, BRAIN, Degussa, Henkel, Milupa, Schering,
Südzucker and Wacker, as well as other small and medium-sized
companies. Dr. Karl-Heinz Maurer, Chairman of the Industrieverbund
Mikrobielle Genomforschung, comments: “The use of genome information
to optimize micro-organisms and their products is becoming a key
factor in the global race to be first with the best products and
processes in white biotechnology.”

Thomas Rachel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research, explains: “It is essential that
industry, universities and politics stand shoulder to shoulder if
they are going to hold their own in the global competition. So I
welcome the industry's GenoMik-Plus initiative, an approach that is
closely linked to the federal government's high-tech initiatives and
which is accompanied by other BMBF programs in the fields of
biotechnology, nutrition and health.”

As the world's leading specialty chemicals company, Degussa
already holds a strong position today in fermentation-based amino
acids for animal nutrition and for applications in the pharmaceutical
and food industries. Speaking about what his company is aiming to
achieve through its participation in the GenoMik-Plus initiative,
Degussa's Deputy Chairman Dr. Alfred Oberholz says: “We are seeking
to utilize synergies in research to leverage additional technology
potentials in production processes and to step up the pace from
development through to market readiness. What is more, the proportion
of our products that are based on renewable raw materials is set to
significantly increase over the next few years.“

Henkel has a great deal of experience in a partnership-based
strategy of developing enzymes for detergents and cleaning agents.
“Enzymes in detergents and cleaning agents are a well-known example
of the successful use of white biotechnology. Consumers benefit from
low washing temperatures and better cleansing power, while nature
gains through a reduction in the quantity of chemicals used and lower
energy consumption”, is how Dr. Wolfgang Gawrisch, Chief Technology
Officer Research/Technology of Henkel KGaA, summarizes the situation.

Speaking for BRAIN AG, a technology company specializing in white
biotechnology, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Holger Zinke notes: “The
Industrieverbund Mikrobielle Genomforschung is an outstanding
platform for the collaboration of industry, technology companies and
academic partners. The new national initiative pools these forces
together for the first time, and thereby makes an important
contribution to strengthening Germany's position on the research
landscape.”

Genome research into micro-organisms - key technology for the 21st
century

Five years ago sequencing and evaluating a microbial genome cost a
million euros and needed one year to carry out. Today it can be done
for a tenth of the outlay and in just three months. Prof. Dr. Alfred
Pühler, holder of the Chair of Genetics at Bielefeld University and
coordinator of the Bielefeld GenoMik-Plus network observes:
“Genome-based analysis and optimization of organisms, production
processes and applications is set to become one of the prerequisites
for innovative and competitive products and processes in the field of
chemistry, pharmaceuticals, medicine and nutrition. The GenoMik-Plus
networks have advanced the development of the technology and methods
required to the extent that industry can now put them into practical
application.”

The use of micro-organisms in industrial biotechnology is regarded
as a key technology of the 21st century. What is increasingly
becoming the “glass cell” is making it possible to quantify and use
the natural metabolic activity of micro-organisms more efficiently
than ever before. As a result, advances in sequencing methods and
functional genome analysis can enable the genetic configuration of
organisms to be revealed and compared within a very short time. This
will enable the very complex ways in which micro-organisms interact
with their environment to become increasingly predictable. And as a
result it will be possible to develop products and intermediates
based on renewable materials as well as, for example, new substances
that have an antibiotic effect or that can be proven to have a
positive effect on intestinal flora.

“White biotechnology” - also known as industrial biotechnology -
is the term used to describe sustained, industrial manufacturing
processes that are primarily based on natural, biological resources.
It covers fermentative and enzymatic processes that offer both
economically and ecologically promising alternatives to
chemical-physical processes.

Industrieverbund Mikrobielle Genomforschung (Dusseldorf): An
association to promote science and research, in particular functional
genome research into micro-organisms. The association brings together
the experience gained by science and business, supports research in
the area of genome research and supports the exchange of expertise
and cooperation between business and science. Members of the
Industrieverbund come from companies in the biotechnology, chemicals,
consumer goods, foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals industries. BASF,
Bayer Crop Science, Biopract, BRAIN, Degussa, Direvo, Henkel, Milupa,
Schering, Südzucker and Wacker are all involved in the
Industrieverbund.

Originaltext: Industrieverbund Mikrobielle Genomforschung
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Contact:
Dr. Karl-Heinz Maurer
Henkel KGaA
Enzyme Technology

T +49-211-797-3039
F +49-211-798-8958
karl-heinz. maurer@henkel.com