A unique technology platform
From host organisms to the production of new biomolecules… A complete in-house discovery pipeline !
Proprietary Actinomycete collection
Hedera-22 has built its own actinomycetes library composed of strains collected in unfriendly environment with unique properties and more focussed and specific to the goal.
Bioinformatic predictive approaches
Based on a AI driven methodology, the original strategy developed by Hedera-22 accelerates the next generation biomolecule discovery (up to 180 times faster than traditional methods).
in silico identification of the bacteria able to biosynthesize cryptic compounds, their structure and bioactivity.
cutTing edge Metabolomics
State of the art molecular metabolomics equipment and methods for new biomolecule structure elucidation.
Molecular Microbiology
Improving production of new molecules with targeted genetic modifications. Bioactivity and ecotoxicity preliminary assays conducted in house.
The context
The challenge for better health and a better planet drives Hedera-22 towards the development of sustainable products for pharma and plant protection .
Building on our core competencies and accelerated process, we intend to partner with pharma and agro leaders to join them in the development of solutions for the future.
Natural Products
Usually more bioavailable, Natural Products are more likely to resemble biosynthetic intermediates or endogenous metabolites, and hence take advantage of active transport mechanisms .
Nature has learned to maintain low hydrophobicity and intermolecular H-bond donating potential when it needs to make biologically active compounds with high molecular weight and large numbers of rotatable bonds.
Natural products and their derivatives have been recognized for many years as a source of therapeutic agents and structural diversity .
By mimicking certain distribution properties of natural products, combinatorial compounds can be substantially more diverse and have greater biological relevance than purely synthetic compounds.
Our main activities & services
Next generation BIOMOLECULEs library
Pre-characterized biomolecule catalog available for screening for bioactivity of interest.
STRAIN IMPROVEMENT
Identification of optimal expression conditions for maximising the fermentation yield.
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH
Identification of next generation biomolecules with pharma, agro or other activity in the scope of licensing or partnership agreement.
Our Team
Hedera 22 team is skilled, flexible and dynamic. It is supported by the 4 founders who bring their expertise, fame and passion.
Management
Valerie Renard
CEO
Pierre Tocquin
Scientific coordinator
Team
Balaji Rathod
Micro & Molecular Biology
Bastien Demouveaux
Micro & Molecular Biology
Lucas Rezende
Metabolomics and biomolecular chemistry
Gil Josse
Metabolomics and biomolecular chemistry
Alice Jadoul
Lab Technician
Amandine Vanloo
Lab Technician
Philippe Goffin
BioInformatics
Aymeric Naome
BioInformatics
Founders & Scientific Advisors
Denis Baurain
Marc Hanikenne
Sebastien Rigali
Pierre Tocquin
about US
Science and technology for a better life.
Hedera-22 was created in 2015 as a spin-off from ULiege.
Its first activity was based on the development of bioinformatic competencies and the informatic treatment of massive biological data combined with « omic » biology expertise (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics).
In 2020, Hedera-22 raised funds to pursue its activity in a wider field. It positions itself as a partner to industries active in research and development of innovative products based on the use of new natural molecules with agronomic (such as fungicide, herbicide, pesticide), therapeutic (anti bacterial, anti infectious, anti cancer) or other interest.
Latest news
Jan 2023 : From bacteria to new antibiotic discovery ! Fantastic work in collaboration with
Séba Rigali, InBioS @ Uliège which represents a Proof of Concept of Hedera-22’s process.
Lunaemycins, first new bioactive molecules found from cave moonmilk-dwelling bacteria. See our work at
Lunaemycins, New Cyclic Hexapeptide Antibiotics from the Cave Moonmilk-Dweller Streptomyces lunaelactis MM109T – PubMed (nih.gov).
We are regularly expanding our team. Contact us for more info about open positions. (@ admin@hedera22.com )
May 2022 : Discover our research article written in collaboration with the University of Liège – InBioS Center for Protein Engineering, GIGA Proteomics Facility and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory MolSys Research Unit – describing the discovery of 43 novel ferroverdin-like compounds from Streptomyces lunaelactis species. Our collaborative work uncovered putative novel CETP inhibitors structurally related to ferroverdins.