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Does Leaf Energy have a strong Intellectual Property portfolio?
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What measures is the company taking to address environment and safety issues?
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What is Leaf Energy's core business?
Leaf Energy is an Australian listed biotechnology company focused on utilising plant energy for the production of high value proteins and biofuels.
What is molecular farming?
Molecular farming is a term used to describe the production of high value compounds in plants.
In order for a plant to be used to produce specific molecules, a novel gene is inserted into its chromosomes. A regulatory code is inserted with that gene which tells the plant where to produce the desired protein within its leaves, roots or seeds. Leaf Energy works through this process with the aid of its In-Plant Activation Technology (ie INPACT®).
In the same way that sugarcane is harvested and refined to produce sugar, proteins manufactured inside the plants through molecular farming are later extracted after a crop is harvested and processed. Instead of producing a food product, the end result could be a plastic, medicine or even an additive for the paper manufacturing process.
There is a growing worldwide demand for high value proteins and molecular farming provides a cost effective and scalable production mechanism to meet this demand.
Advantages of molecular farming include:
- Molecular farming is intended to be cleaner and more efficient than other protein production techniques utilised in common fermentation systems.
- Production of compounds through molecular farming is targeted to be cost effective because the process is unlikely to be infrastructure intensive. It is also potentially “scalable” – higher production demand can be met by planting more non-food crops.
The application of Leaf Energy's technology to molecular farming assist growers to produce plants which yield niche compounds which can be harvested, extracted and purified to meet a customer's desired specifications and, therefore, sold at a premium on the world market.
When will Leaf Energy harvest its first commercial crop?
Leaf Energy aims to enter into small scale production within the year, subject to regulatory approvals. We aim to harvest our first commercial crop of proteins in 2011.
What is INPACT®?
INPACT® is our unique platform technology which provides a powerful gene expression system in plants.
Leaf Energy's platform technology has a number of possible applications, which would enable efficient production of compounds used in:
- Bioplastics
- Therapeutic, diagnostic and industrial proteins
- Edible vaccines
In addition, the technology can be used to control plant traits such as (gemini and nano) virus resistance, male sterility and enhanced yield. It can also be used to amplify mammalian cell expression.
The use of INPACT® in creating virus resistance, male sterility in plants, and amplification of mammalian cell expression, will create a number of out-licensing opportunities for Leaf Energy.
What level of expertise is at Leaf Energy's disposal?
Leaf Energy has an experienced Board and research team, led by world-renowned plant biotechnologist Prof. James Dale.
Our company also continues to draw on the technical expertise of a group of scientists who were involved in the initial development of Farmacule's core INPACT® technology at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Leaf Energy contracts its current research requirements to QUT. At present, the company funds five research positions.
Does Leaf Energy have a strong Intellectual Property portfolio?
Leaf Energy has an exclusive worldwide licence and rights to the INPACT® technology developed by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
The INPACT ® technology was developed over a five-year period by a team of molecular biologists led by Professor James Dale at QUT's Centre for Molecular Biotechnology.
Leaf Energy's intellectual property portfolio includes six patents and patent applications.
Leaf Energy's INPACT® system is at the cutting edge of plant gene expression – a discovery which has been protected with a range of international patents. We are committed to expanding our strong intellectual property portfolio through continued research contracted to QUT, collaborative projects and licensing of patented technologies.
Negotiations to out-license specific aspects, such as virus resistance, have begun.
The company's growth plans have been thoroughly researched and a comprehensive risk management process has been put in place.
What measures is the company taking to address environment and safety issues?
Leaf Energy intends to lead and set the standard for regulatory compliance and environment safety in the industry.
Our Chief Scientific Officer, Prof. James Dale has served as a member of Australia's Genetic Modification Advisory Council and, in 2001, helped draft national legislation to govern the genetic modification of organisms. He is currently a member of the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee (GTTAC) in Australia.
Our research and development program abides by the ASX and AusBiotech Biotechnology Code of Ethics and Federal government regulations administered by the office of the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia.
What are Leaf Energy's key strengths?
Leaf Energy has identified the following key strengths as central to its competitive advantage.
Worldwide exclusive rights
Leaf Energy has worldwide exclusive rights to the proven INPACT® technology which enables the targeted expression of specific proteins and other valuable compounds in plants (both monocots and dicots).
Technical expertise and capabilities
Leaf Energy has the technical expertise and capabilities based at QUT to express proteins in transgenic plants.
Shorter development and approval timeframes, high scalability and lower costs structures
Plant-based protein expression systems offer relatively shorter development and approval timeframes, high levels of scalability and lower costs base for production, processing and infrastructure than traditional methods.
Australia is ideally suited to molecular farming
It has a very well developed agricultural production infrastructure, comprehensive legislation regulating genetically modified organisms and importantly Federal and State (I.e. Queensland) governments that strongly support biotechnology. There are over 200 Genetic Modification field trials this year across Australia. Importantly, in Queensland, Farmacule's home state, targeted crops can be grown year-round.
Commercialisation skills
Leaf Energy has the commercialisation skills, global industry networks and resources to enable it to establish the pathway to market strategy that will allow it to exploit the international market opportunity for its technologies and products from its base in Australia.
Multiple revenue streams
Based on its platform technology, Leaf Energy's business strategies will deliver multiple revenue streams to internally balance commercialisation risks. These strategies include a combination of:
- Early sub-licensing revenues from out-licensing its technologies to 3rd parties for inclusion in early stage research and development.
- Early to mid-term revenues from the exploitation of its gravel leases.
- Mid to long-term revenues from the production of and commercialisation of a range of high value proteins using its proprietary plant derived production system based on the INPACT® technology.