A spin-off bases its activity on the commercial exploitation of patents or results generated through research funded wholly or partially with public resources and conducted at universities. To enable this exploitation, a patent licensing agreement has been signed by the University of Valencia, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), the joint owners of the patent, in favour of the spin-off.

The company’s activity will be centred on the development of biodegradable enzymatic disinfectants with high antimicrobial efficacy for non-food detergents, as well as products with applications in the food sector. The main distinguishing feature of these disinfectants is their ability to be tailored to the specific needs of clients, while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability and food safety.

The research result is jointly owned by CSIC, the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University of Valencia and corresponds to the European patent application No. EP24383069, entitled “Combination of endolysins and glucose oxidase and uses thereof”, held jointly by the Spanish National Research Council, the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Valencia.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents one of the greatest current challenges to global public health, with a growing impact on human, animal and environmental ecosystems. The presence of pathogens that pose a critical threat to food safety, together with the excessive use of chemical disinfectants, has exacerbated resistance phenomena and raised significant environmental and human health concerns.

The partners in Desarrollos Enzimáticos SL (ZYMOTOPIA is its commercial name) include the inventors of the patent: Julia Victoria Marín, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (University of Valencia); Julio Polaina, former CSIC researcher; and David Talens, currently a CSIC researcher – all members of the Molecular Enzyme Engineering Group at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC) – as well as José Antonio Darós, head of the Plant Virus Laboratory at the IBMCP (a joint UPV-CSIC centre). Antonio Alberola, a chemistry graduate from the University of Valencia, also participates in the initiative.

Advantages and Challenges

The advantages of these new alternatives, which promise to be less harmful to the environment, include greater technological flexibility, sustainability, efficiency and improved food safety. However, they also face significant challenges, as the regulatory framework is becoming increasingly stringent, with growing pressures on companies from regulations, markets and consumers. As a result, limitations in efficacy, a lack of standardisation that hinders widespread adoption and insufficient regulatory adaptation continue to slow implementation in regulated markets.