The European Patent Office has granted BRAIN Biotech a substance patent for its CRISPR-BMC nuclease technology, marking a significant development in genome-editing tools for industrial applications. Patent number EP4301852 B1 covers a novel family of CRISPR nucleases called BMC® (BRAIN Metagenome Cas) that demonstrate high activity in various prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. This technology enables efficient double-strand breaks at specific genomic locations, allowing for targeted modifications to organism properties.
The BMC® technology can precisely edit both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, plants, and mammalian cells. This represents another proprietary CRISPR system developed by BRAIN Biotech alongside its BEC® nucleases. The company specifically applies this technology to optimize microbial production strains such as E. coli, Bacillus, Pichia, and Aspergillus for manufacturing biomolecules including enzymes, proteins, and small molecules.
The patent grant provides BRAIN Biotech with freedom to use this proprietary technology for internal research and customer projects while opening significant commercial potential through licensing arrangements. The company has already granted technology licenses to companies across various fields and plans to expand these licensing activities. The patent has been in effect since March 18, 2026, in all European Unitary Patent countries, Great Britain, and Switzerland, with applications pending in other key regions including the United States and Japan.
Adriaan Moelker, CEO of BRAIN Biotech, stated that the patent protection enables their technology to make manufacturing processes using microorganisms more cost-effective. The company offers a business model applicable across wide-ranging application areas. Moelker noted that the CRISPR-BMC nucleases represent another innovative genome-editing tool emerging from the BRAINBioIncubator, complementing the already patented CRISPR-BEC nucleases.
Alexander Pelzer, Head of R&D at BRAIN Biotech Zwingenberg, explained that CRISPR-BMC accelerates development of production organisms and strain development for customers through its speed and precision. The company leverages decades of molecular biology and microbiology experience to ensure reliable technology establishment across various organisms.
This development has implications for multiple industries relying on biological production systems. The ability to efficiently edit diverse organisms could lead to more sustainable manufacturing processes, improved yields of biological products, and reduced production costs across sectors including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and industrial biotechnology. The licensing opportunities created by this patent may facilitate broader adoption of advanced genome-editing technologies in commercial applications.
BRAIN Biotech continues to seek patent protection for additional nucleases within the BMC® family through selected inventions. The company operates fermentation facilities in the United Kingdom with additional production sites in continental Europe and the United States. More information about the company's activities is available at https://www.brain-biotech-group.com.
