Renaissance BioScience has received a C$550,000 (US$410,000) research grant from Genome BC to develop a proprietary wild yeast discovery platform, part of a strategy to build a pipeline of industrial microorganisms that can be licensed or commercialized across multiple sectors.
The 24-month project, conducted with a research team at the University of British Columbia, will begin with the characterization of more than 700 wild yeast strains. The company plans to compile genomic and performance data into a searchable database designed to identify strains capable of producing commercially valuable compounds.
The effort reflects a platform-driven approach increasingly adopted across industrial biotechnology, where companies invest in discovery systems intended to generate multiple products and recurring revenue opportunities rather than relying on single-strain innovations.
Renaissance will initially focus be on identifying yeast capable of converting low-value waste streams into higher-value ingredients, including enzymes, biosurfactants and nutraceutical compounds used in agriculture, food production, specialty nutrition and energy.
The company expects the resulting strain library and associated data to strengthen its intellectual property portfolio and support future licensing agreements and commercial partnerships. The platform could also accelerate development timelines by using automated screening and genomic analysis to identify promising candidates more quickly.
Renaissance, based in Vancouver, develops engineered and natural yeast strains for environmental, agricultural and industrial uses. The company didn’t disclose expected revenue contributions or a timeline for commercialization tied to the new discovery platform.
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