Technology package covers unconventional strains for the production of biofuel, renewable chemicals
MADISON, Wis. – Xylome Corporation has signed licensing and equity agreements with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) to develop and market unconventional yeasts with the power to transform tough biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals.
“The new technologies have already proven their worth in laboratory and pilot trials,” says Thomas Jeffries, president of Xylome Corp. “Combined with our proprietary platform strains and deep knowledge of the field, we’ve built a solid foundation for commercial success.”
Conventional yeasts for baking and brewing do not utilize all the sugars found in biomass, so they must be genetically modified. To get around this problem, Xylome has developed naturally occurring, non-GMO yeasts that natively ferment the sugars from cellulosic feedstocks. At the same time, Xylome’s technology enables genetic modification of these non-conventional yeasts to synthesize novel products.
Therefore, Xylome’s non-GMO yeasts can be used to convert cellulosic sugars into biofuels and can be genetically modified for synthetic biology applications as well.
The new licensing agreement covers several technologies, including: the genetic transformation of widely studied native xylose- and cellobiose-fermenting yeasts; highly effective sugar transporters; and mutations in key genes that enhance xylose metabolism. Also covered are metabolically engineered yeasts for the synthesis of ethanol and other products, and cultivation conditions that enable co-fermentation of glucose along with xylose and cellulosic sugars.
“Xylome expects to conduct commercial trials, production and ongoing development for target markets in the U.S. and abroad,” says Jeffries. “The impressive fermentation strength of our non-GMO platform strains along with effective, flexible genetic tools create a very powerful combination.”
Xylome is currently working with several companies to evaluate low-cost feedstock from cellulosic and other sources. Technology covered under the current agreement was developed in conjunction with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC).
About Xylome
Xylome Corporation is a privately held biotechnology company based in Madison, Wisconsin, that specializes in the development and deployment of non-conventional yeasts for the fermentation of cellulosic, hemicellulosic and other low-cost mixed sugar sources to renewable fuels and chemicals. Xylome’s leadership has many decades of experience in yeast physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, metabolic engineering, fermentation scale-up and bioprocess engineering. Xylome intends to provide highly effective bioprocess technologies to existing biofuel, feed and chemical producers in order to reduce their processing costs and increase byproduct valuations. Xylome is actively seeking collaboration with grain ethanol producers, potential suppliers of low-cost byproduct waste streams, pretreated substrates and hydrolysates.
About WARF
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) helps steward the cycle of research, discovery, commercialization and investment for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Founded in 1925 by Professor Harry Steenbock as an independent, nonprofit foundation, WARF manages more than 1,600 active patents and an endowment of $2.6 billion as it funds university research, obtains patents for campus discoveries and licenses inventions to industry. For more information, visit warf.org.
About Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC)
GLBRC is one of three Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers funded to make transformational breakthroughs that will form the foundation of new cellulosic biofuels technology. GLBRC is led by UW–Madison, with Michigan State University as the major partner. For more information on the GLBRC, visit www.glbrc.org.
Forward-Looking Statements
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