BRAIN Biotech, a provider of specialist enzymes and biological solutions for industry, announced today that the European Patent Office has granted a substance patent for its CRISPR-BMC nuclease, designated EP4301852 B1. This patent covers a novel family of CRISPR nucleases, called BMC® (BRAIN Metagenome Cas), which exhibit high activity in various organisms. The technology generates efficient double-strand breaks at defined genomic locations in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, enabling targeted modifications to alter organism properties.
The BMC® technology can edit a wide range of organisms, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, plants, and mammalian cells. It is a proprietary CRISPR system developed by the company, alongside the BEC® nucleases. BRAIN Biotech primarily uses this technology to optimize microbial production strains such as E. coli, Bacillus, Pichia, and Aspergillus for producing enzymes, proteins, and small molecules.
The granted patent marks a milestone for BRAIN Biotech, ensuring freedom to use the technology for its own research and customer projects. It opens significant potential for commercial application through licensing. The company has already licensed the technology to companies in different fields and plans to expand licensing activities.
Adriaan Moelker, CEO of BRAIN Biotech, commented: “I am very pleased that we have now secured robust patent protection for the CRISPR-BMC nucleases developed at BRAIN Biotech. Our technology, which is based on these nucleases, helps make manufacturing processes that utilize microorganisms more cost-effective. We offer a corresponding business model for the use of our technology, which can be applied across a wide range of application areas.” He added that the BMC® family complements the already patented CRISPR-BEC nucleases.
Alexander Pelzer, Head of R&D at BRAIN Biotech Zwingenberg, stated: “CRISPR-BMC allows us to further accelerate the development of our own production organisms and strain development for our customers thanks to the speed and precision it offers. To ensure the reliable establishment of the technology in various organisms, we draw on our decades of experience in molecular biology and microbiology.”
The patent for the first nuclease in the BMC® family has been in effect since March 18, 2026, in countries covered by the European Unitary Patent, as well as in Great Britain and Switzerland. The patent is still pending in other key regions such as the USA and Japan. Patent protection is also being sought for other nucleases in the BMC® family through selected inventions.
For more information, visit www.brain-biotech-group.com.
