GENEART Supports the Craig Venter Institute to Create the First Synthetic Bacterial Genome

GENEART AG announces that parts of the first synthetic bacterial genome created by the Craig Venter Institute were produced in the laboratories of the Regensburg Company. Craig Venter has reached a milestone in the synthetic biology field by creating the genome, with a length of 580,000 base pairs.

The research results, which were published in the "Science" professional journal last Thursday, provide the necessary basis to create tailor-made bacteria for applications such as producing environmental friendly biofuels, manufacturing complex biopharmaceuticals, or breaking down pollutants. This represents another important step towards making synthetic biology available for commercial applications.

"The achievements of the Craig Venter Institute clearly illustrate the tremendous potential of synthetic biology applications. As the global leader in the gene synthesis field, with a monthly capacity of approximately 2 million base pairs for the building blocks, we have established a key technology platform in order to help drive these developments."

"In addition, we will also be supporting our customers in the development of efficient bio-factories by synthesizing functional gene clusters (so-called operons). Our laboratories are working on corresponding research projects, some of which are publicly-funded, at full speed. Thus we will consistently develop our ability to create an added value for this industry," says Prof. Dr. Ralf Wagner, CEO of GENEART AG.