About Us
Actinogen Limited is a broad based biotechnology company specializing in the detection and isolation of soil actinomycetes found in Western Australia and the semi-purification and screening of bioactive compounds produced by these actinomycetes. The company has collected, classified, catalogued and is maintaining a number of soil isolates, including actinomycetes, which are stored at sub zero temperatures. This is an on going process which ensures that the Company has an ever increasing number of micro-organisms which it can repeatedly re-examine in its search for new applications.
The Company has developed a series of rapid and specifically directed screening tests directed at searching for antibiotics and anti-fungal agents. These screening tests focus on identifying isolates which may lead to the development of products capable of commercial applications in medical, agricultural and veterinary fields.
Actinomycetes samples often come from the soil. Western Australia is well know for it’s diverse set of flora and fauna, which influence evolution of unique actinomycetes.
The Company has isolated 2 micro-organisms (isolates) which produce antibiotic activity against “Superbug” Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE). The Company has applied for a provisional patent in respect of these isolates. The potential of these bioactive compounds, if they pass the stringent tests required for clinical use, is enormous.
In other developments the Company has identified a series of isolates which produce bioactive compounds which are active against clinically important fungal infections and some common agricultural diseases. The Company has also identified a series of isolates that are capable of tolerating high levels of saline that may have application for the rehabilitation of salt affected soils.
The Company has established testing procedures to provide basic biological information, semi-purification, molecular size determinations, structural analyses and DNA sequencing of isolates producing interesting compounds.
The Company intends to seek commercial application for bioactive compounds produced by soil actinomycetes. The Company is led by a management team that has extensive experience in the isolation, purification and screening techniques which it uses.