BioSilta

BioSilta was a biotechnology company that developed and marketed reagent-based microbial growth systems. The company's core intellectual property was the patented EnBase® technology, which formed the basis of its EnPresso® growth systems. These systems were designed to control the feeding and growth rate of microbial cultures, enabling cultures to reach higher cell densities and increasing the yield of high-quality biomolecules compared to conventional media.

The technology originated from an idea in 2004 within Dr. Peter Neubauer's team at the Biocenter at Oulu University in Finland. The goal was to replicate the precise control of large-scale bioreactors at a smaller, laboratory scale. BioSilta Oy was founded in Oulu, Finland, in 2007 to commercialize this concept. The company later expanded, forming BioSilta Ltd in the UK in 2014, with its headquarters in Cambridge and subsidiaries in Finland and Germany. Investors included Omega Funds, Inveni Capital, and Oulun Seudun Hyvinvointirahasto.

BioSilta's primary products were the EnPresso® growth systems, which came in the form of pre-sterilized, soluble tablets. These tablets contained nutrients and a polysaccharide substrate, which, when combined with a glucose-releasing agent, provided a steady, controlled release of glucose to feed the microbes. This method maintained optimal metabolic conditions and pH, reducing the risk of incorrectly folded proteins and increasing solubility. The product line was developed for both bacterial (E. coli) and yeast (Pichia pastoris) cultures, serving scientists in life science research facing challenges with protein yield and quality. In 2016, BioSilta acquired the worldwide rights to the CyDisCo™ technology from the University of Oulu to enhance the production of complex proteins. According to PitchBook, the company is now out of business as of June 2017.

Keywords: microbial growth systems, reagent-based media, EnBase technology, EnPresso growth systems, biomolecule production, protein expression, recombinant proteins, microbial cultures, fed-batch technology, protein yield, E. coli expression, yeast expression systems, cell culture media, protein solubility, laboratory reagents, biomolecule yield, controlled growth rate, high-density cell culture, biotechnology tools, life science research