Menlo Park, CA and San Diego, CA – Pfenex Inc., an industry leader in protein expression through the Pf?nex Expression Technology™ platform, announced today that it has entered into a research collaboration with bioengineering solutions provider, DNA2.0. As part of the collaboration, DNA2.0 will work with Pfenex Inc. to develop an optimized algorithm and process for the design and synthesis of genes to be expressed in Pseudomonas fluorescens, the microorganism used in the Pf?nex Expression Technology™ platform.

“Pfenex Inc. is dedicated to the rapid and reliable production of high quality recombinant proteins for our partners,” said Dr Bertrand Liang, CEO of Pfenex Inc. “Through this collaboration, two industry leaders will leverage their respective capabilities to advance the Pf?nex Expression Technology™ platform. We are very excited about this project with our long-standing gene synthesis partner, DNA2.0, because it allows us to enhance the capabilities of our technology which will enable us to increase the overall value proposition to our partners.”

“DNA2.0 is the industry leader in gene design and expression optimization,” said Jeremy Minshull, PhD., cofounder and CEO of DNA2.0. “Our patented GeneGPS™ technology is based on experiment data from over-expressed synthetic genes, resulting in up to a 100-fold increase in protein expression. We have successfully optimized expression for a variety of hosts, including bacteria, yeast, fungus, plant and mammalian, and we are excited to work with Pfenex to extend our expertise to the P. fluorescens system.”

About DNA2.0

DNA2.0 is the leading bioengineering solutions provider. Founded in 2003, DNA2.0 offers an integrated pipeline of solutions for the research community, including gene design, optimization, synthesis and cloning, as well as platforms for protein and strain engineering. It is the fastest provider of synthetic genes—based in the US with a global customer base encompassing academia, government and the pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural and biotechnology industries. DNA2.0 is by far the most published synthetic gene vendor, providing expert support to and collaboration with scientists. DNA2.0 explores novel applications for synthetic genes and is exploiting the synergy between highly efficient gene design and synthesis processes and new protein optimization technologies. DNA2.0’s tools and solutions are fueling the transformation of biology from a discovery science to an engineering discipline. The company is privately held and is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. For more information, please visit www.DNA20.com.

About Pfenex Inc.

Pfenex Inc. is a protein production company leveraging the unique and powerful Pf?nex Expression Technology™ platform based on the microorganism, Pseudomonas fluorescens, for the production of research proteins, reagent proteins, biosimilars and innovator biopharmaceuticals. For more information please visit www.pfenex.com.