Metabolites from Unculturable Microorganisms Create a Drug Discovery Opportunity

Dublin, Ohio (May 22, 2013) – The Centre for Marine Bioactives and Drug Discovery (MabCent-SFI) at the University of Tromsø, Norway has entered into a collaborative relationship with Biosortia Pharmaceuticals of Dublin, Ohio to discover new biologically active natural products for the treatment of metabolic disorders. Research efforts are led by Dr. Steinar Paulsen with researchers at MabCent. The center’s mission is to support research-based innovation and is focused on marine bioprospecting, screening, and characterization of bioactive for drug and biotechnological products.

Biosortia Pharmaceuticals will provide compounds that are produced by a consortium of microscopic organisms in the natural aquatic environment, a rich source of metabolically active organisms. The consortium includes microalgae, bacteria, and fungi and their secondary metabolites, a complex living consortium developed for survival in a highly competitive environment. Researchers at the University of Tromsø and MabCent under the direction of the principal investigator, Dr. Paulsen in collaboration with Biosortia’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Guy Carter, will investigate the unique chemistry for activity against disease targets with nuclear receptor assays. Biosortia will be responsible for commercializing these exciting new compounds to various pharmaceutical companies for further development into new drugs.

Biosortia’s President and CEO, Kurt Dieck stated: “Dr. Paulsen and the resources at MabCent fits perfectly into our metabolic disease vertical and further strengthens our screening partner strategy. As part of Biosortia’s research and discovery strategy, we have both internal and external researchers. We look to collaborate with academia’s best researchers in our strategic therapy areas. We are very excited to enter into this collaboration agreement with the University of Tromsø and to be able to work with such innovative and respected research leaders as Dr. Paulsen.”

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About Biosortia Pharmaceuticals – Biosortia Pharmaceuticals Biosortia Pharmaceuticals is a division of Algaeventure Systems (AVS). Biosortia has a proven and unique ability to obtain unculturable aquatic microorganism consortia from the natural environment in unprecedented quantities that allows its research team to perform a direct study of vast quantities of new natural products. Biosortia is actively engaging drug research and development organizations to explore the vast opportunity of unculturable microorganisms for potential therapeutic agents, and other novel compounds of value in biotechnology fields

About University of Tromsø and Centre for Marine Bioactives and Drug Discovery (MabCent) – Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, the University of Tromsø is the world’s northernmost university and the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway. Established by the Research Council of Norway & hosted by the University of Tromsø, MabCent-SFI is a Centre for Research-based Innovation. MabCent-SFI is one of fourteen Research-Based Innovation Centers initiated by the Research Council of Norway and is the only one within the field of “bioactive compounds and drug discovery” that is based on bioactive from marine organisms. The field of research is within marine bioprospecting biology of marine resources/species, through screening and research on bioactive, to commercialization of drugs and biotechnological products.

If you’d like more information about the announcement or the organizations, please contact David Coho of Biosortia at 614-325-9804 or dc***@*******ia.com or contact Steinar Paulsen of MabCent at +47 77644504 or St*************@*it.no.