A New Technology for Molecular Separation and Protein Purification: Seeking Collaboration

By Dr. Sharon Gotteiner, CPA

Dr. Sharon Gotteiner is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) specializing in the assessment of the financial feasibility of new business ventures, business models, and deal structures. Dr. Gotteiner has extensive experience working with technology startups and established corporations worldwide, catalyzing strategic initiatives aimed at improving financial performance and enterprise valuation. Academic background: PhD in Strategic Management (UIC, Barcelona, Spain). Co-author of highly cited academic publications, including Fighting organizational decline: a risk-based approach to organizational anti-aging, Turnaround types, stages, strategies, and tactics: Putting things in order, and The OPTIMAL MBO: A model for effective management-by-objectives implementation.

Molecular separation and protein purification can be costly and pose challenges to contemporary production lines. This new technology reduces the cost of these processes, and makes it more scalable and environmentally friendly. The company is now seeking partners for the EIT program.

Various industrial processes require molecular separation or protein purification. However, this stage is often expensive or technically challenging. Below are the methods currently used for separation or purification, along with the challenges faced across industries:

• • Chromatography/resins – While selective and precise, electrical charge-based separation is typically expensive, often costing more than $1,000 per kilogram. Additionally, the production of synthetic resins from crude oil poses significant environmental challenges.
  • Ultra/nano filtration systems require multiple stages and often face the challenge of frequent filter blockages or clogs.
  • Dialysis is a slow process that requires large amounts of water and poses challenges to scalability.

Consequently, modern molecular separation and protein purification processes significantly influence downstream costs and pose scalability challenges for the food, beverage, flavor, fragrance, cosmetics, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.

A new, proprietary technology enables the use of an alternative downstream process that leverages natural separation mechanisms, such as ion exchange and size exclusion. This approach offers the following benefits:

• • It utilizes low-cost biological substances, achieving over 80% cost reduction compared to traditional purification methods, such as synthetic resins.
  • It is more effective than other filtration solutions, providing a scalable alternative for downstream processes.
  • It is environmentally friendly and biodegradable.

These benefits offer manufacturers a valuable opportunity to revolutionize ingredient production on their production lines.

The Company is seeking the following types of collaboration:

• • Ingredient Producers:

Category 1: Protein/enzyme producers using precision fermentation or other production processes. These producers use weak cation-exchange methods to isolate target molecules such as lysozyme, papain, trypsin, peptides, or lactoferrin.

Category 2: Producers aiming to eliminate or isolate small molecules (up to 5 kDa) such as lactate, ammonia, small polyphenols, or coumarin.

• • Potential Distributors:
    Distributors could include bio-process design companies (CDMOs), equipment manufacturers (e.g., fermenters, tanks, columns), or distributors of resins and filtration solutions.

  • Potential Manufacturers (CMOs):
    Manufacturers could be food production or processing facilities, or any company capable of producing biological materials using simple GRAS materials under food regulatory standards. The scope could expand in the future to support additional industries.

Collaboration shall aim at integrating and commercializing the technology within the specific production processes of the selected producer. It will also focus on building the necessary infrastructure to scale up production and facilitate product distribution.