Chr Hansen brings down genomic research costs (and time)

Danish supplier Chr Hansen is reaping the benefits of more than 10 years researching genomics and bioinformatics of its probiotic and other bacterial strains, with inhouse analysis that can cost less than €1000 per strain.

Senior manager in the department of physiology and innovation, Martin B. Pedersen, told this publication its former work with genomic specialists CLC bio and Genostar had brought it to the position where it could cheaply and quickly map more than 200 of its key strains.

Aside form the cost and time savings, the new data was providing insights into how different bacteria function at the genetic and molecular level in the body, along with non-nutritive potentialities.

“There are usually just a couple of genes that are unique to each strain and isolating these is providing information about their functionality. It’s important information for probiotics, dairy products, fermented foods in the nutrition area alone. It is difficult to see how this kind of research can be done without genomics now. It’d be like working in the dark.”