Biocon partners CSIR institute to innovate

The recombinant enzyme expression system is a process of genetic engineering in which the gene of interest is made to overexpress in micro-organisms.

The company has helped to develop the new enzyme expression system by growing micro-organisms consisting of new hosts in a liquid medium.

NIMITLI, launched in 2000, is operated by CSIR to catalyse innovation in India and promote industry-academia linkages.

"The enzyme project started in April 2005 had a time frame of three years. It has now been extended by a year to explore the possibility of patenting the invention," said Harish Iyer, general manager, R&D, Biocon.

As part of the project, Biocon has partnered the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu (formerly known as RRL), a CSIR institute. IIT-Bombay and MKU, Madurai have also pitched in with their knowledge of enzymes.

"Patenting this invention gives Indian companies an edge in accessing global markets, especially in the food processing sector as they will not be infringing other patents," said Harish Iyer.

In addition to the food processing sector, the new recombinant enzyme expression system has wide range of industrial applications, especially in oil, pharmaceutical and textile industries.

Biocon may not be directly able to commercialise the technology as it has recently sold its enzyme business to Denmark-based Novozymes. But this technology, when developed, may be useful to a number of companies through the CSIR commercialisation initiatives.