Swedish biotech companies Symcel and Colzyx entered a new partnership agreement in order to test Colzyx’s 25 different new collagen VI derived antimicrobial peptides. The newly discovered molecules represents a first-in-kind new class of peptides characterised by the ability to kill bacteria in different ways. Under the terms of the agreement, each peptide will be tested independently or in combination with others.
The analysis will be run with the aid of Symcel’s innovative cell-based assay tool for real-time cellular bioenergetic measurements calScreener™, that enables the calorimetric measurement of heat generated by metobolism and provides the rapid generation of unique information that can’t be acquired through other experimental methods. The continuous kinetic data for bacterial growth and inhibition so available represents a valuable tool for evaluating the novel antibacterial compounds.
“The innovative calScreener™ technology is set to further test and validate the effectiveness of our novel collagen VI peptides which, for the first time in research history, are being put to use to combat microbial infection by destroying bacteria”, said  Eskil Söderlind, CEO at Colzyx. The company founded by Drs Matthias Mörgelin and Suado M Abdillahi (Medical Faculty, Lund University) is focused on the development of bio-implants with superior tissue integration function and products for wound healing with antibiotic effect.
According to the CEO of Symcel, Christer Wallin, CalScreener™ was selected to test the new peptides because of its ability to deliver unique data in real-time for the potentially new class of antimicrobials. “Our highly natural solution – utilising the bodies own built in defence mechanism and developing that into a form of a pharmaceutical drug  for targeting microbial infection – has great healthcare potential”, added Eskil Söderlind.