The research agreement involves the evaluation of partially refined mixtures as well as individual compounds.
The aquatic environment is a source which consists of metabolically active organisms and microbial consortia such as microalgae, bacteria, and fungi and their associated secondary metabolites.
Biosortia’s technologies will be used in order to access biologically active compounds that are derived from these consortia, which still remain virtually unexplored.
AstraZeneca will assess Biosortia’s compounds and fractions for activity against a number of therapeutic targets.
Commenting on the agreement, Biosortia president and CEO Kurt Dieck said, "Their focus on innovation and identifying new sources to research aligns well with our early stage drug discovery strategy."