Glossary

Registered trademark of BRAIN Biotech AG. A team of around 20 people is developing novel CRISPR nucleases under this name. The Akribion Genomics team is developing one of these nucleases, G-Dase E®, into a technology platform for a new class of genetics-based cancer therapies. Akribion Genomics is currently seeking Series A funding for the next stage of this development (as of the end of September 2023).

Protein alternatives to animal proteins traditionally obtained from the meat or milk of higher farm animals; can come from plant sources (e.g. pea protein), from microbial biomass (e.g. yeast) or from targeted microbial fermentation (precision fermentation). They can also come from protein-rich edible insects or from meat-like tissues cultivated in the laboratory ("clean meat"); the aim of producing alternative proteins is to avoid factory farming and the associated environmental destruction and to reduce CO2 emissions.

Animal-identical" alternative proteins are proteins of animal origin that are produced by microorganisms while retaining their biochemical structure and functionality. Examples include milk proteins, egg proteins or proteins for the production of meat substitutes. In the case of other proteins (e.g. enzymes, structural proteins), the protein structure is often deliberately and specifically modified in the bioprocess in order to improve properties for later use (e.g. enzyme activity) or to eliminate them (e.g. instability)

Aurase® is an enzymatic substance developed by BRAIN Biotech for the cleansing of chronic wounds. SolasCure Ltd., which was founded with the participation of BRAIN Biotech, is working on the approval of the medical substance.

Are used to develop products in the food, beverage, skin care, cosmetics and chemical industries. At the BRAIN Biotech BioScience site in Potsdam (AnalytiCon Discovery), experts work in the field of natural product chemistry and carry out active ingredient screenings, among other things. Over the years, the company has built up an extensive library of bioactive substances (including small molecules). The active ingredient deucrictibant (formerly PHA121) discovered there is currently being developed into a drug by the Swiss company Pharvaris.

Bio-based products are goods manufactured from renewable raw materials

Companies of the BRAIN Biotech Group based in UK (headquarters in Cardiff, Wales) and in US (Illinois); global distributor network e.g. Korea, Australia, New Zealand. Key player in the specialty enzyme business

This business segment includes BRAIN Biotech's own disruptive development projects and partner projects for "new business" with high commercial potential; the value creation options include spin-offs, licenses, milestone payments, production and sales.

Biocatalysis is the use of a biological system to increase the rate of a chemical reaction. Such a biological system may be enzymes or cells. "Industrial biocatalysis" describes the process on an industrial scale. Raw materials can be efficiently and sustainably converted into desired products.

Enzymes that act as catalysts to accelerate (bio)chemical reactions

Application of biological processes in an industrial setting with the aim of creating a more sustainable economy

One of the three business segments of BRAIN Biotech AG. It comprises the development and marketing of proprietary products, including enzymes, along the value chain.

Processes that use living cells (e.g., bacteria or fungi) or molecules produced by them (e.g., enzymes) to obtain specific products. Bioprocess development involves determining the optimal "design space" for a particular microbial product with the desired yield and purity. Efficient and cost-effective bioprocess development is necessary for new biotechnological production processes to emerge as competitive alternatives to existing processes or products.

Technology for the sustainable processing of biomass into marketable products (e.g. food, feed, materials, chemicals) and energy (fuels, electricity, heat). Integrated biorefineries combine various such technologies with the aim of greater flexibility and cost reduction. Integrated biorefineries facilitate the use of byproducts and waste, and enable the production of high-quality products (e.g. fine chemicals) combined with low-quality products (e.g. bioenergy).

One of the three business segments of BRAIN Biotech AG. The segment comprises research-intensive, customer-specific development projects and collaborations.

Application-oriented sub-sector of biology; includes insights and methods from microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, technical chemistry and process engineering; utilizes biological processes e.g. for industrial applications

In-house collection consisting of around 53,000 comprehensively characterized microorganisms (including “chassis microorganism” strains for the development of production organisms) and the BRAIN libraries:

Enzyme library: up to 500 isolated and pre-characterized enzymes and DNA encoding enzymes introduced into expression vectors.

Metagenome library: screenable DNA library containing metagenomes from different habitats; collection serves to identify previously uncharacterized enzymes and metabolic pathways.

Compound Library: Natural product collection with sub-collections for specific, well-characterized sub-sub-substance groups.

The company's own collection, consisting of around 53,000 comprehensively characterized microorganisms (including "chassis microorganism" strains for the development of production organisms) as well as an enzyme and a metagenome library

Abbreviation for: Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats

CRISPR-Cas (= CRISPR/Cas) is the name of a method with which molecular biologists can cut DNA in a targeted and precise manner. The so-called "gene scissors" (for genome editing) thus enable the selective insertion, removal or modification of individual DNA segments in the living organism. The method offers biotechnologists the possibility to carry out targeted mutations and thus, for example, to optimize the metabolic performance of microbial production organisms within a short time.

Biochemically, the CRISPR-Cas complex consists of the CRISPR-associated protein "Cas" with the function of a DNA-cutting protein (belongs to the enzyme class of nucleases), as well as a piece of RNA, the so-called guide RNA, which directs the Cas protein to the site on the DNA to be cut.

The acronym "CRISPR" stands for „Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats”, a repetitive region on the genome of the bacterium where this DNA region was initially discovered and by which CRISPR systems can be recognized. CRISPR-Cas systems are derived from a natural mechanism that bacteria use to protect themselves from harmful viruses.

In basic research, CRISPR-Cas technology is already being used in a wide range of applications. However, the unclear patent situation specifically for the CRISPR/Cas9 system often prevents its use in companies, as there are as yet unforeseeable patent risks, as well as expensive licensing fees to be paid. For this reason, BRAIN Biotech has developed its own variants of the CRISPR-Cas scissors: G-Dase E® (former BEC) and G-Dase M® (former BMC01).

Innovations that can lead to business models or technologies being replaced

Deoxyribonucleic acid: biomolecule that carries genetic information (genes)

Abbreviation for the German Sustainability Code (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitskodex); BRAIN Biotech has published a declaration in relation to the German Sustainability Code. The entry in the DNK database supports BRAIN Biotech’s sustainability reporting activities and provides transparency in relation to the company’s development

Proteins that accelerate biochemical reactions in their function as biocatalysts; play an important role in the development of biobased products; BRAIN Biotech identifies and develops optimized enzymes and biocatalysts for complex process and application requirements

Foods and beverages that have undergone controlled microbial growth and fermentation

BRAIN Biotech development program for freshness and product stability utilizing natural bioactive substances; suitable for the food and feed industry, for medical products, paints, cleaning agents and other household products.

Targeted modification of DNA using molecular biology techniques

DNA Length of a DNA sequence, indicated by the number of base pairs (1 Giga bp = 1,000,000,000 base pairs); common metagenomics measure

Genetically modified organisms

"Generally Regarded as Safe status": declaration of safety for the use of substances (e.g. microorganisms) to manufacture foodstuffs; GRAS organisms can be utilized without restriction in biotechnological production

Sustainable mining, e.g. ore treatment to extract gold, silver or copper using microorganisms rather than chemicals

An organism’s natural environment

Also known as white biotechnology; drives innovation for a paradigm shift away from petroleum-based towards biological processes and bioeconomy products

Genomic information present in the entirety of all microorganisms of a specific community; BRAIN Biotech AG owns more than 40 metagenome libraries that contain genomic information on millions of new enzymes and metabolic pathways from previously uncultivable organisms

Genomic analysis of a community of organisms by gene sequencing; genetic material is extracted, sequenced and analyzed directly from environmental samples, which saves the previous cultivation of microorganisms

Microscopically small unicellular or multicellular organisms, e.g. bacteria, algae, fungi or viruses

Linear, sometimes ring-shaped chain of molecules consisting of two or more amino acids; long polypeptide chains are called proteins.

Further development of classic fermentation with the help of molecular biology and bioinformatics; fermentable organisms such as bacteria, yeasts or fungi are developed into production microorganisms ("cell factories") so that they produce a specific protein (or another molecule) in high quantities and purity and with specific properties. This typically requires the targeted, precise modification of the microorganism's genome - e.g. using genome editing or the introduction of genetic instructions - and the development of sophisticated fermentation processes. Proteins that are produced by precision fermentation and subsequently purified are, for example, enzymes, alternative proteins (see alternative proteins) or structural proteins for various industries.

Sales of products (manily enzymes) in the form of merchandise, technologies or biotechnological system solutions; can be achieved via the BRAIN Biotech Group’s direct B2B business or through joint product developments with industrial partners and corresponding licensing agreements; scalable-product business option offered by the BRAIN Biotech Group (see also R&D cooperation partnerships)

Non-viable bacterial products or metabolic by-products of probiotic microorganisms that develop biological activity in the host. Are used, for example, in cosmetics.

Food or dietary supplement containing an ingredient (indigestible) that selectively stimulates the growth and/or activity of indigenous bacteria.

Live microorganisms which, when used adequately, exert a health-promoting effect on humans and animals. Have been used for intestinal health in the food sector for over 50 years; new areas of application include cosmetics, agricultural or household products.

Probiotics optimized for performance and/or safety using nonGMO processes (e.g., natural evolution and targeted genome editing without the use of foreign DNA).

In the process of protein engineering, proteins (e.g. enzymes) are constructed and optimized for specific purposes. The approach is either via so-called "rational design" (targeted mutagenesis, possible with existing knowledge of protein structure) or "directed evolution" (mimics natural evolution and requires no prior knowledge of protein structure).

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Specific chemical products with a broad range of activities on which a large number of other industrial sectors depend

Standardized process model for developing product innovations with the aim of assuring process quality

Area of biology in which organisms are modified to develop new, useful abilities

Dedicated contract R&D programs for the development of tailor-made solutions for industry

Sustainable extraction of valuable substances from secondary raw materials and waste flows in order to retain them in value chains in the long term.

Includes the application of modern biotechnology in industrial production processes. Chemical starting materials are converted by enzymes and cells into products suitable for further processing. Also known as industrial biotechnology