To expedite the discovery of new genes and traits from our microbial collection, we developed a proprietary technology called MiDAS Gene Discovery System® (Microbial Diversity Acquisition System). This genomics-based technology focuses on the elements of microbes known to contain high genetic diversity and to carry traits of commercial importance, including insecticidal toxins, antibiotic synthesis genes, and biomass conversion enzymes.

By combining high-throughput sequencing with proprietary vectors, methods, and algorithms we can discover genes in a manner independent of their expression pattern.

Sequencing of diverse strains from the Athenix microbial collection has generated in excess of 1.5 billion base pairs of DNA sequence. This represents an unparalleled resource for targeted gene discovery. Our custom annotation pipeline has identified thousands of novel genes in hundreds of different categories. In fact, fully one-third of the new genes we discover have new or unknown functions, making our gene collection one of the most diverse in the industry.

From this collection, Athenix has also discovered and characterized more than 170 novel pesticidal protein homologs, many of which show strong activity against major agricultural pests. Athenix is also using the power of MiDAS to improve discovery in all of our integrated programs. For example, custom MiDAS databases and algorithms are used in conjunction with protein fractionation and high-throughput screening to identify novel genes.