NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) - Dutch industrial chemical firm DSM has completed a collaborative project to sequence the genome of Aspergillus niger CBS 513.88, a microorganism that DSM uses to produce enzymes and other compounds.
DSM and its collaborators are publishing the results of the sequencing project in the February issue of Nature Biotechnology. DSM said 29 other research institutions participated in the study.
The A. niger genome has around 33.9 million base pairs with more than 14,000 unique genes. The functions of as many as 6,500 of these genes may be discovered, the company said.
The project has so far spurred “numerous” DSM patent applications, DSM said, including products such as one for muscular recovery, an enzyme to prevent ‘chill-haze’ in beer, and an enzyme to prevent formation of a toxic compound in some fried foods.
The company said the project resulted in several new collaborations with companies such as Gene Alliance, Biomax, Affymetrix, the University of Amsterdam, and others.