Evozyne
Aris Theologis, Chief Business Officer
aris.theologis@evozyne.com
Evozyne is a data-driven molecular engineering company using computational modeling and machine learning to create uniquely functioning synthetic proteins. Founded in 2019 by Paragon Biosciences, Evozyne is developing novel proteins that have the potential to solve some of the greatest challenges facing the world today.
There are two key motivating ideas behind Evozyne’s synthetic protein technology, which were recently validated in the peer-reviewed publication Science. The first: Evolution has been mutating and selecting proteins for a long time, paving the way for deducing nature’s design rules underlying protein structure and function using machine-learning-based models. The second: Using these design rules, one can rationally explore the otherwise unsearchable vast protein sequence space using iterative design-build-test cycles driven by the models. Evozyne’s platform puts these ideas into action by bringing together three key technologies into a single, streamlined workflow: 1) Designing novel sequences using computational models trained on databases of natural protein sequences. 2) Building libraries of synthetic proteins at a scale of thousands per trial. 3) Testing the designs by quantitatively measuring phenotypes in high-throughput custom assays capable of up to 1,000,000 measurements per day. With this platform, Evozyne can develop novel proteins for a specific use, with applications across a variety of industries.
For example, the company’s technology may be used to create synthetic proteins that increase the nutritional value of food, along with its shelf life, resulting in better food and less waste; deliver a drug therapy in a more targeted way to reduce side effects in patients; and dramatically improve the efficiency of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting it to usable energy.
