BIOPOLIS

​​​​​​Microbiology, molecular biology, fermentation and engineering applied to the development of strains and bio-processes:

• Access to databases and specialised computer resources
• Isolation of new strains;  the selection and validation of strains of culture type collections.   Improvement led by mutagenesis and genetic engineering.
• Development and optimisation of processes, selection of culture media, and optimisation of raw material costs
• Availability of equipment for extraction and fine purification:  sonication, pressure homogenisation, liquid-liquid extraction, solid-liquid, ultra-filtration, preparative chromatographic purification
• Tuning of analysis methods.  Specific stains, spectro-photometric or chemi-luminescent analysis, immunoreactivity, gas and liquid chromatography for detection and quantification of biochemical compounds.

High performance in vitro screening and “in vivo” models, that offer the possibility to identify the molecule responsible for the functionality, as well as the metabolic process and/or target genes upon which it acts.

• Evaluation of the biological activity of effective functional ingredients against health disorders, such as aging, obesity, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, hypertension, neuro-degenerative diseases (Alzheimer's), pathogen infections, toxicity and immunity.
• “In vitro” and “in vivo” validation assays:
  • “In vitro”: Exploration of enzymatic activity for a wide range of applications.
  • “In vivo”:  Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Medaka fish (Oryzias latipes), murine models (rat/mouse)
  • “Ex vivo”:  Cultivation of living cells and tissues from an organism with the aim of detecting the biological activity of a specific compound, such as a complement or replacement of existing “in vivo” models.

INNOVATIVE ASPECTS

• Novel high-throughput scrutiny techniques in “in vivo” models (C. elegans).
• Rapid detection of functional ingredients.
• Omic technologies:  genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and nutrigenomics.
• Availability of massive sequencing technology through affiliate company Lifesequencing SL (lifesequencing.com).
• Miniaturised fermentation equipment with control of environmental variables for design of experiments, clonal selection, optimisation of bio-reactions.
• In-house scaling of the fermentation and purification process (up to 9,000 L). Production of pilot lots for validation.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

• Scaling of functional ingredient production
• Industrial production.
• Support in Technology Transfer.
• Inter-disciplinary staff with extensive experience.
• From proof of concept to long-term developments.

• Functional foods, nutritional supplements, probiotics, starters, proteins, vaccines, functional feeds, nutria-cosmetics, bio-technological processes, pest bio-control, expression of recombinant proteins in bacterial and eukaryotic systems, obtaining and development of cell lines and monoclonal antibodies.
• Design, development and optimisation of enzymatic or microbial catalysis processes.
• Characterisation, validation and selection of high-yield industrial strains, recovery of waste and industrial by-products.
• Strain design and processes to obtain bio-fuels.
• Obtaining bacterial polymers (PHA), and APIs.

• Human and animal foods.
• Nutritional supplements.
• Energy, agricultural, pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors.
• Fine chemistry