Renaissance BioScience Corp., a leader in bioengineering for the global agriculture, animal health, human medicine, and food industries, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the first patent for its innovative yeast-based platform technology for the production and delivery of RNA bioactive molecules.  The patent — awarded by the China patent office— joins the company’s extensive IP portfolio of 50 patents issued previously for other innovations and 11 additional applications currently pending in key markets around the world with favourable outcomes anticipated. 

Renaissance is utilizing its groundbreaking yeast containing RNA bioactive molecules to initially develop a suite of biological products designed to take a precise, targeted approach to pest control—a significant advance in the large global pest-control market. In addition, this safe and effective platform holds excellent potential in additional multi-billion-dollar market applications in animal health and human medicine. Following years of dedicated research and development, the patent application was filed in May 2019 and the process culminated in the recent approval granted by the Chinese Patent Office. This is significant as China is the world’s largest consumer of pesticides and is also the largest global producer of biopesticides.  

Dr. John Husnik, Renaissance’s CSO and Office of the CEO, commented on the patent award: “Securing a patent for our team’s innovative yeast-based RNA platform technology is truly a milestone achievement for Renaissance BioScience. China is an extremely large global market, and the many different large-scale biopesticide, animal health and human medicine applications for this technology represent vast potential markets, not only in China but also many other parts of the world as other patents are awarded. We’re pleased and excited to receive this first patent that recognizes the benefits offered by this dynamic yeast-based RNA technology.”

Yeast-based platform technology addresses key RNA challenges

This new development by Renaissance addresses critical challenges currently facing RNA delivery technologies, including:

• Stability: A yeast’s outer shell is robust, making it an excellent vehicle to protect fragile RNA bioactive molecules in a variety of environments; greatly expanding its applicability.

• Manufacturing: Yeast can be produced at low cost, in high quality and at large scale by general yeast manufacturers, meaning reduced cost of manufacturing of high value RNA bioactive molecules for many different applications.

• Adaptability: Renaissance’s scientists are adept at fine-tuning the platform yeast to address various objectives, including incorporating multiple gene targets and stacking with additional compounds to enhance the carrier’s capabilities in different applications.

• Safety: A food-grade baker’s yeast as the base of the platform, inactivated prior to delivery, is safe for handling and application, easing regulatory concerns regarding its use.

Without RNA human life could not exist. Numerous types of RNA are known, and these are integral to all living things, including the natural foods we eat. For example, Renaissance’s biopesticides utilize RNA interference (RNAi) to precisely target unique proteins essential to the life of the targeted pest. One important feature of RNAi is that it does not create any new functions: it can only switch off or “interfere with” existing functions by turning off a gene’s target activity. Once these specific genes are switched off by the RNAi, the insect dies. And, since these targeted genes are unique to each species, the precision yeast-based RNAi has no negative effect on other insects, animals, humans or plants.