Codexis’ Protein Engineering Forum Highlights Progress and Future Direction of the Field
Industry and academic leaders convened to discuss the direction of protein engineering for a wide range of applications
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Codexis, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDXS), a leading protein engineering company, assembled approximately 150 top scientists in protein engineering to discuss recent progress and future direction in a forum held last week in Palo Alto, Calif. Speakers highlighted recent successes in enzymatic manufacturing, biologics discovery, and agricultural and diagnostic applications, as well as technical progress in library generation, high-throughput screening, and bioinformatics.
Through two days of presentations, panel discussions and networking events, representatives from more than 50 industrial, entrepreneurial, and academic institutions learned about the latest developments in the field and exchanged ideas about future developments.
The keynote address by Nobel Laureate Dr. Frances H. Arnold illuminated the audience on the history of the field and highlighted the promise of protein engineering technology. Invited speakers from industry and academia followed, providing insights from pharmaceutical, chemical, and other bioindustrial manufacturing through single enzyme processes, enzyme cascades, and direct fermentation. Along the way, technology advances in DNA synthesis, genome engineering, nano-liter scale screening, application of in vitro transcription/translation, continuous and cell-free evolution formats, and machine learning and artificial intelligence were presented.
“I'm proud of the Codexis team for organizing this groundbreaking forum attended by a Who’s Who of protein engineering innovators. Discussions and presentations generated tremendous energy, as well as new ideas and inspiration to expand the impact of proteins in the real world,” said John Nicols, Codexis President and CEO.
Gjalt Huisman, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Strategic Development at Codexis, added, “This forum elevated protein engineering toward real world application at a time when successes are finding their way to market faster and more frequently. Cross-functional learning by participants from diverse industries helps everyone advance the use of synthetic biology in their organizations to deliver novel protein-based products that hold enormous prospect to add substantial and unique value.”
About Codexis, Inc.
Codexis is a leading protein engineering company that applies its proprietary CodeEvolver® technology to develop proteins for a variety of applications, including as biocatalysts for the commercial manufacture of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and industrial enzymes, and enzymes as biotherapeutics and for use in molecular diagnostics. Codexis’ proven technology enables improvements in protein performance, meeting customer needs for rapid, cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing in multiple commercial-scale implementations of biocatalytic processes. For more information, see www.codexis.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts regarding Codexis, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including Codexis’ expectation that increased use of synthetic biology by an organization can help create highly valuable protein-based products and solve significant challenges. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond Codexis’ control and that could materially affect actual results. Additional information about factors that could materially affect actual results can be found in Codexis’ Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 1, 2019 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 6, 2019, including under the caption “Risk Factors” and in Codexis’ other periodic reports filed with the SEC. Codexis expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
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Released October 15, 2019