When Novozymes launched the detergent enzyme Lipolase in 1988, we were the first company in the world to market an enzyme produced from genetically engineered microorganisms. Since then Novozymes has expanded the use of gene technology to become a versatile tool in discovering natural enzymes, generating artificial enzymes and producing superior enzyme products.
Novozymes has mastered all the gene technologies applicable to enzyme research.
With its expertise in protein chemistry, Novozymes is able to discover, purify and characterize all classes of enzyme.
Using expression cloning, we are able to find new enzymes simply by screening for the relevant activity of the enzyme. This method dispenses with the need for time-consuming purification and characterization of the enzymes.
Molecular screening even allows Novozymes to isolate enzymes without knowing anything about the enzyme end-product and without testing to measure the activity of the enzyme. If enzymes with similar activity are known from other organisms, the genes of the related, unknown enzymes can be efficiently isolated by searching for DNA homologies between the known and the new enzyme. And even if this information does not exist, our researchers can still isolate new enzymes using the new DNA array technology.
No matter how an enzyme is discovered we can produce it at very high yields and at very high product purity using gene technology. We have developed safe and environmentally friendly bacteria and fungi that can produce all classes of enzyme.
Read more about the gene technologies Novozymes uses for the benefit of man: