Satt Nord catalyses Zymoptiq

Regional tech transfer office Satt Nord has licensed a France-based spinout called Zymoptiq to commercialise a technique for measuring enzymatic activity originating from the Lille Institute of Electronics, Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN).
Laboratories study enzymatic activity as a way of monitoring cellular activity and the purification of enzyme proteins; gleaning crucial information on how enzymes – substances released by organisms to spark specific biochemical reactions –  relate with substrates, biological inhibitors and drug candidates.
By exploiting micro and nanofabrication techniques, Zymoptiq hopes to improve upon existing means of enzymatic measurement, targeting applications such as quality control and process improvement in fields ranging from nutrition to diagnosis.
The plan is to offer sensitive, accurate results – potentially in less than an hour – as part of an assay that is more effective than conventional approaches often dependent on intensive chemical techniques such as spectroscopy, which examines interactions between matter and electromagnetic radiation.
Zymoptiq was founded in early 2019 to extend collaborative research from IEMN led by Alexis Vlandas from the French National Center for Scientific Research.
The company’s technology is already being used to probe a number of targets, and Zymoptiq will now consider seeking funding as it looks to expand its range of substrates available for testing.
Philippe Pebay, chief executive of Zymoptiq, said: “This licence agreement is an important asset for Zymoptiq and is part of a long-term partnership between Zymoptiq and Satt Nord.
“It will facilitate the establishment of a possible fundraising and reinforces the maturation of the technology. This partnership asserts the seriousness and credibility of Zymoptiq and makes it possible to quickly close the current technical developments to accelerate commercial deployment.”