Enalees, a biotech company producing rapid molecular diagnostic tests for the veterinary profession, has announced the official opening of its new proteomics development and production laboratory at the Genopole cluster site (Greater Paris region, France) for production of recombinant proteins and to strengthen R&D for its rapid diagnostic kits to support veterinary professionals.
This new production site forms part of Enalees' development plan; in October 2022 it received a €500,000 subsidy as part of the France 2030 Investments for the Future Program, allocated by the Ile-de-France region. Enalees designated around €300,000 of this budget to cutting-edge laboratory equipment.
This unit will focus on the production of specific recombinant proteins used to detect new pathogens in animal infectious diseases. It will enable Enalees to broaden its focus to include other species in addition to dogs, cats and horses. As a result the company will be able to improve the performance of its diagnostic kits and develop them to detect currently undetectable pathogens which require greater diagnostic sensitivity. To support this development, the company plans to recruit a PhD student and a senior technician to its R&D department.
The new production site will allow Enalees to reinforce its supply chain to meet the growing needs of the veterinary market throughout Europe, for reliable rapid diagnostic solutions that are easy to use. Enalees’ molecular tests, which are designed to detect DNA specific to the target pathogen using an isothermal amplification method (LAMP PCR), produce a result after just 30 minutes, meaning animals can be treated more quickly and isolated if necessary.
Laurent Thiery, President and Co-founder of Enalees commented: “I'm very proud of the progress Enalees has made in so little time. This new laboratory and the pilot proteomics factory are evidence of the strategic industrial transformation that we have undergone and our ability to innovate, which is so highly prized by our customers. This is a crucial time for Enalees, due to the group’s European and international expansion and our active search for funding to meet the needs of the veterinary market and to reach our growth targets.”
Initially, the laboratory will be used to meet Enalees' internal R&D and production needs. In the longer term it could enable the company to offer its services to third-party companies in the biotech and veterinary sectors. It has the necessary equipment for production of recombinant proteins, including an AKTA chromatography system and high-precision pipetting robots.