Tebubio and ORF Genetics partner for Sustainable, Animal-Free Growth Factors and Cytokines
Tebubio and ORF Genetics are pleased to announce a new partnership to expand market access to sustainable, animal-free growth factors and cytokines.
ORF Genetics, an Iceland-based biotechnology company, has developed a unique molecular farming platform in which recombinant, biologically active cytokines and growth factors are expressed in genetically engineered barley plants. The barley is cultivated in greenhouses in Iceland, powered by renewable geothermal energy, enabling an environmentally responsible and highly reproducible production process. This approach eliminates the use of animal-derived components and results in animal-component-free, endotoxin-free proteins with excellent biological activity.
As part of this collaboration, Tebubio will distribute ORF Genetics’ ISOkine® product range, focusing initially on research and development applications. ISOkine® animal-free premium growth factors & cytokines are produced under the Quality Management System ISO 9001, purified to high quality standards, and supplied with comprehensive documentation. They are designed to support reliable, reproducible cell culture, particularly for stem cell research, regenerative medicine, cell therapy research, immunology and advanced in vitro models such as organoids.
According to ORF Genetics’ co-founder and CSO, Dr. Björn Örvar, “plants provide a robust and efficient system for producing complex proteins”. By combining plant biology with Iceland’s renewable energy resources and the natural protein-storing capacity of barley seeds, ORF Genetics delivers cytokines and growth factors that combine quality, consistency and sustainability”.
“This partnership strengthens Tebubio’s commitment to offering innovative, ethical and sustainable alternatives to conventional reagents,” affirms Donald van Dijk, CEO at Tebubio. “The ISOkine® product line provides researchers with dependable, animal-free tools aligned with the evolving standards of modern life science research.”
About ORF Genetics
ORF Genetics is an innovative plant biotechnology company and a pioneer in developing and manufacturing high-quality specialty proteins in bioengineered barley plants. With ORFEUS, ORF Genetics’ unique expression system, the barley grain can be used as a vehicle for large-scale protein production that is highly efficient and high quality. This technology has allowed ORF Genetics to develop a portfolio of specialty proteins, including a portfolio of animal growth factors called MESOkine, specifically developed for cultivated meat production, DERMOkine for skincare applications, and the ISOkine product portfolio for the stem cell research market.
Contact : Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir, CEO - berglind.olafsdottir@orfgenetics.com
About Tebubio
Tebubio facilitates Life Sciences Research every day, contributing to advance Science for a brighter future. Through our local offices located across Europe, we support Life Sciences and Biotechnology Researchers with a unique, holistic range of solutions enabling them to access cutting-edge solutions sourced from reputed global Life Sciences suppliers, carefully selected by our Scientific Team for their relevance and evaluated for their ethical and legal compliance.
Contact : Cyrielle Delafoy, Corporate Communications - marketing@tebubio.com