EVOCATAL GMBH: MARINE METAGENOMICS FORNEW BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATION
Sevocatal GmbH is industry partner in the international project MarineMetagenomics for New Biotechnological Applications (MAMBA).Within the framework of this program, the company is contributing expertiseand proprietary technologies for the identification of as yet undiscoveredenzymes from nature and their production using bacterial host organisms.These biocatalysts are then made available for industrial applications in thechemical and pharmaceutical industries, thereby aiding experts in their effortsto design more sustainable and effective production processes.The scientists investigate biological diversity in marine environments and makeit accessible for technological innovation. Evocatal’s chances of discoveringnew, highly-specialized enzyme activities are increased by the range ofsamples which will be taken from a variety of extreme environments. MAMBA’sfocus is on unique ecosystems in the Mediterranean’s bathyal and abyssalzones, habitats that are marked by high salinity, extreme temperatures and pHvalues,intense pressure and exceptional mineral composition, respectively.evocatal CSO Dr. Christian Leggewie explains: “It’s astonishing that microbeshave been able to adapt to conditions in such hostile environments […]Discovering this diversity and using it for biotechnological purposes is not onlyfascinating, but exceedingly innovative as well”. Peter N. Golyshin, UniversityBangor, Wales United Kingdom continues: “Scientific relevance – and a highcalibreconsortium with internationally recognized experts […] Why evocatal?evocatal can use and market the identified enzymes. We really appreciatetheir ample experience and a unique position on the market. Ultimately, whatwe all want is to make use of the riches from yet undiscovered microbialenzymatic diversity”.The MAMBA Project brings together a total of eleven partners from Wales(United Kingdom), Messina (Italy), Madrid (Spain), Banyuls, Bretagne,Boulogne (all in France), Toronto (Canada), Bremen and Düsseldorf (both inGermany). The research performed by the participating universities is led andcoordinated by Professor Peter N. Golyshin from Bangor University in Wales(UK). The MAMBA project is financed by the European Commission’s FP7Research Programme, and runs for four years, until mid-2013.
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