ERS Genomics, Evolva Signs License Agreement
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ERS Genomics Ltd and Evolva have announced a non-exclusive license agreement which provides Evolva with worldwide access to ERS’ CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing intellectual property for use in engineering yeast and fungi for production of ingredients for human and animal health, wellness and nutrition, food and beverages, and other industrial applications. ERS Genomics holds rights to the foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patent portfolio from Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, an inventor of the breakthrough gene-editing technology.
“Genome editing has many applications beyond drug discovery and development and making the CRISPR-Cas9 patents available to industrial biotechnology leaders such as Evolva is a growing and important part of our business. We are thus very pleased to include them in our expanding portfolio of licensees,” said Eric Rhodes, CEO of ERS Genomics.
“By combining modern genetics with traditional brewing, Evolva tries to overcome some of the challenges in producing natural ingredients for commercial use. Evolva uses proprietary technologies and is committed to gain access to complementary platforms that allow us to enhance the properties of the ingredients we produce, as well as their economics,” commented Neil Goldsmith, CEO of Evolva.
Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier’s research unveiled the key components and mechanisms of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, leading to the landmark publication with Jennifer Doudna, (Jinek et al., 2012), which laid the foundation for the use of CRISPR-Cas9 as a highly versatile and precise genome editing tool. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
