PrecisionPhage

PrecisionPhage Ltd. is a Finnish biotechnology firm established in 2022, specializing in bacteriophage technologies to combat the global challenge of antibiotic resistance. The company originates from over 15 years of dedicated phage research conducted at the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Helsinki. Its founding members, a team of academics with entrepreneurial experience, include CEO Matti Jalasvuori, CSO Saija Kiljunen, CBO Liisa Chisty, and Head of Bioinformatics Ville Hoikkala. This group combines extensive research backgrounds from international institutions like the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the company's mission.

PrecisionPhage operates a multifaceted business model centered on three core areas: phage licensing, laboratory services, and bioinformatics. The company generates revenue by licensing strains from its proprietary collection of over 1,500 bacteriophages, which target common drug-resistant pathogens, to clients for research or therapeutic development under exclusive or non-exclusive terms. Its state-of-the-art laboratory in Jyväskylä, Finland, provides a range of services, including on-demand phage isolation, purification, and DNA sequencing, capable of handling pathogens up to biosafety level 3. This allows them to serve researchers and clinicians who require specific phages for their applications.

A cornerstone of the company's offering is Phagenomics, a proprietary, cloud-based software platform launched in 2022. Phagenomics was developed to automate and simplify complex phage genome analysis, making it accessible to users without coding expertise. The platform takes raw sequencing data and, in under 15 minutes, performs genome assembly, annotation, and analysis—a process that would typically take a bioinformatician days. It identifies key genomic features, estimates lytic potential, and flags virulence factors or antibiotic resistance genes, providing a detailed report to assess a phage's suitability for therapeutic use. The service operates on a subscription model, with a free basic version and a premium Pro subscription offering more features. In November 2024, the company secured a total of €2.2 million in funding, comprising €1 million from investors and a €1.2 million Deep Tech Accelerator grant from Business Finland, to advance its research and international expansion.

Keywords: bacteriophage technology, phage therapy, antibiotic resistance, bioinformatics, phage licensing, laboratory services, Phagenomics, phage genome analysis, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), superbugs, microbial genomics, phage discovery, DNA sequencing, biotech, Finland, Matti Jalasvuori, Ville Hoikkala, Saija Kiljunen, phage collection, lytic phages, bacterial infections