Jennewein Biotechnologie announced the signing of a long-term lease for a 1000-m² plot of land in Bonn Bad Godesberg, Germany, which is planned to be the site of a new R&D center for microbiome research and designer microorganisms. “The relocation of part of our research department, from its home of many years in Rheinbreitbach, to Bonn Bad Godesberg, was necessary because of the strong growth our company has enjoyed over the past few years, and the lack of space now available for additional research activities,” said Katja Parschat, Jennewein’s deputy head of R&D. The company plans to invest around €3.6 million in the new laboratory facility, which is set to be completed in October 2018.

The new R&D center will continue the company’s research on metabolic engineering, focusing on designer microorganisms and particularly on new technologies for the creation of organisms with synthetic genomes. “Extending the genome engineering work we began in 2005 to embrace synthetic and rationally designed genomes is a logical step on the way to designer organisms, which will enable us to increase the yields of our products and save on costs,” commented Stefan Jennewein, CEO of Jennewein Biotechnologie. “This is especially important in order to remain competitive in the long term and to maintain our leading position on the international stage.” The new R&D center will also expand the company’s microbiome research activities and strengthen its expertise.

“Microbiomes are everywhere and we’re constantly interacting with them,” said Jennewein. “Although not much is yet known about the relationship between microbiomes and allergies, autism, obesity and other diseases, the microbiome definitely plays an important role in infant development. And this isn’t just limited to the intestinal microbiome. We see great potential in products which promote what we call the “healthy microbiome”, especially in the area of infant and toddler nutrition.”