ADVERTORIAL
“ Imperagen’ s technology is purposebuilt for this challenge, delivering rapid biocatalyst optimisations tailored to commercial process conditions. Our approach allows our customers to leverage the huge value of AI powered enzyme engineering without requiring deep in-house expertise themselves”
Dr Tim Eyes, Chief Product Officer, Imperagen
Relative Productivity * *
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* Productivity = g product / g enzyme e / hour aand n d directly impacts enzyme e cost contribution
Figure 2- Productivity improvements during 1st generation process optimisation and 2nd generation biocatalyst optimisation
Enhancing enzyme performance through Digital Enzyme Evolution
In industrial biomanufacturing, enzyme efficiency directly impacts cost-effectiveness. To further refine enzyme performance, Enzymicals collaborated with Imperagen, whose Digital Enzyme Evolution ** platform integrates AI-driven modelling, proprietary synthetic biology, and laboratory automation to accelerate enzyme engineering. Their AI-powered simulations analyse millions of potential enzyme variants in silico to generate highly targeted enzyme designs, which are then synthesised and tested in a highthroughput automated platform.
In this project, Imperagen applied its AI-guided approach to Enzymicals’ best-performing enzyme, identifying optimised variants with potentially enhanced activity. By testing the targeted mutations, Imperagen identified improved variants to further reduce enzyme loading and improve process efficiency.
In just two iterations, a topperforming variant with a more than tenfold improvement in efficiency was identified. On testing by Enzymicals under process conditions, this resulting high-performing enzyme revealed indications of significant process intensification and cost reduction, supporting ongoing efforts to refine production economics in order to support market competitiveness.
Beyond nicotine: A model for sustainable fine chemicals
While biosynthetic nicotine is the immediate success story, the impact of this achievement extends far beyond. The principles of biocatalysis, AI- assisted enzyme refinement, and industrial process scaling provide a blueprint for sustainable fine chemicals innovation.
The successful scale-up of chemoenzymatic nicotine demonstrates how biocatalysis, AI-driven enzyme engineering, and process development can work together to drive cost-effective, sustainable solutions.
The collaborative project showcases the potential of state-ofthe-art enzyme discovery, process development and next-generation enzyme engineering to drive sustainability and efficiency. With extensive experience in biocatalysis and industrial enzyme processes, Enzymicals continues to deliver scalable enzymatic solutions for the fine chemicals sector, while Imperagen’ s AI-driven enzyme engineering can drive process and enzyme optimisation for the best possible process economics. ●
“ For our patented synthetic route to be workable we needed an enzyme for the key step to be sufficiently selective and productive. The one identified by Enzymicals has been used to manufacture many tonnes of( S)-nicotine in a sustainable and fully traceable process. Now, with the input of Imperagen, we can move to even better process intensification and cost-effectiveness”
Dr Ray McCague, head of R & D, Zanoprima Lifesciences
Notes: * SyNic is a ™ of Zanoprima Lifesciences. ** Digital Enzyme Evolution is a ™ of Imperagen
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MAY / JUN 2025 SPECCHEMONLINE. COM
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