On-site identification of botanical species: new partnership announced

09-May-2017 - Last updated on 10-May-2017 at 10:33 GMT

With transparency and consumer trust becoming a central issue for the industry, a new partnership between Hyris and Indena looks to offer suppliers and brands greater security in the provenance of the naturals ingredients they use.

Hyris, a privately held, UK biotech company, has joined forces with Idena, a leading company dedicated to the identification, development and production of active ingredients from plants, in a strategic partnership.

Through the collaboration, the two parties aim to develop methods together for genomic identification of botanical species, based on:

unique sets of reagents for specific DNA sequences (bKITs)
the use of bCUBE® miniaturized, portable technology: a device for the analysis of nucleic acids.

With this strategic cooperation agreement, Indena, that will also acquire a minority shareholding position in Hyris Ltd, will hold preferential access to this technology in the botanical derivatives industry, the companies explain.

“The joint development of specific identification methods, which can be used directly on-site at biomass collection sites, adds a pillar to Indena’s expertise in the traceability of its supply chain, through genomic identification of plant materials,” the companies state.

What is the Hyris platform?

The Hyris platform offers the ‘unique capability’, according to the company, to perform full genetic analysis of biological samples in any kind of setting.

It incorporates all the needed hardware, software and reagents and can be used as a fully portable testing laboratory to provide highly accurate results, reducing the time associated with traditional methods.

Every bCUBE testing unit is 1.5kg, and the company says it is portable and user-friendly. It can be controlled by bAPP, a dedicated mobile app that provides a complete, intuitive, user-friendly interface.

bApp allows the user to:

download the test protocol required for the desired analysis
check the reaction as it is happening
receive immediate diagnostic information on the sample being examined

Responding to demand

Daniele Giavini, Indena Managing Director, explains that the partnership will allow both companies to respond better to rising demand for greater transparency and assurance.

He says: “The dietary supplement market and consumers need reassurance regarding the authenticity of the products they consume. Once again, Indena is pleased to announce that it will offer another pioneering solution with high added value to its partners."

Stefano Lo Priore, Hyris Ltd CEO, says: “Hyris is delighted to provide full spectrum technological solutions to be integrated in Indena’s information and quality management systems. This agreement validates the company’s strategy to build long term relationships with industry leaders in various application sectors of molecular biology.”