News

Amphoraxe Secures Second Tranche Investment

Vancouver, BC – Amphoraxe Life Sciences Inc. is pleased to announce the successful close of the second tranche of its investment round, strengthened by ongoing non-dilutive research support. This milestone reinforces the company’s financial position, enabling the expansion of R&D and the advancement of in-vivo animal studies for its antimicrobial peptide (AMP) platform—an innovative alternative to traditional antibiotics in poultry production.

“We are thrilled to achieve this key milestone, which brings us closer to reducing reliance on traditional antibiotics in poultry production,” said Fatih Birol, Co-Founder and CEO of Amphoraxe. “This funding allows us to scale our research, advance efficacy and safety testing, and lay the foundation for regulatory approval and eventual commercial rollout.”

Amphoraxe Welcomes Dr. Anat Yanai as New Industrial Research Scientist

Vancouver, BC – Amphoraxe Life Sciences Inc. is excited to announce that Dr. Anat Yanai has joined the company as Industrial Research Scientist, bringing with her three decades of R&D expertise and a proven record of innovation across multiple sectors.

Dr. Yanai’s arrival marks a significant boost to Amphoraxe’s scientific team as the company accelerates its research in antimicrobial peptide development and animal studies. Her leadership experience, technical depth, and strategic insight will play a pivotal role in scaling the company’s R&D programs.

“We are thrilled to welcome Anat,” said Dr. Inanç Birol, Co-Founder and CSO of Amphoraxe. “Her experience, vision, and innovative mindset will greatly enhance our capabilities and propel our mission forward.”

With a distinguished career leading groundbreaking projects, Dr. Yanai is poised to help Amphoraxe achieve new milestones in developing next-generation antimicrobial solutions.

Computational Frontiers and AI-Driven AMP Solutions

This presentation will demonstrate how our AI-powered platforms analyze genomic data, design synthetic variants, and optimize peptide properties specifically for poultry applications – showcasing how computer science is providing practical solutions to one of animal agriculture’s most pressing challenges while simultaneously preserving critical antibiotics for human medicine.

View Event Details →

Combating AMP Resistance through Academic-Industry Partnership

“In this seminar, I will share my journey in launching a company to commercialize academic discoveries while maintaining active collaboration with academic labs. I will discuss how this academic-industry partnership model provides a template for addressing the antimicrobial resistance crisis, demonstrating how innovative technologies can be translated into practical solutions through strategic market positioning and focused development approaches.”

— Dr. Inanç Birol

View Event Details →

First Hatchability Test - Trial A194

The start of the new year brings with it an entirely new type of animal experiment!

This test was focused on hatchability stats of AMP-inoculated eggs. Monday saw the counting of the healthy chicks – and the ones that failed to break through!

There are early promising results as a relatively poor batch of eggs yielded a good number of healthy birds.

Disruptive Technologies in Peptide Design

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics in veterinary medicine, yet turning them into safe, effective products remains a significant challenge. In this presentation, Inanc will highlight how advanced machine learning is transforming AMP research—enabling the discovery of novel candidates from vast genomic datasets, the design of synthetic peptides with enhanced antimicrobial properties, and their optimization for improved safety and efficacy.

View Conference Program →

Peptide Design with Machine Learning Models

The primary objective of the workshop is to critically evaluate state-of-the-art in-silico methods applied to peptide systems and explore their integration with experimental data, covering topics including peptide design, bioactive peptides (membrane-active peptides and inhibitors of protein-protein interactions), and peptide-based materials.

View Workshop Details →

Next round of pen trials commencing on Oct 4

As we approach the end of a busy summer season, the staff at the commercial farm are busy expanding their facilities for the upcoming rounds of pen trials in anticipation of increased trial volume.

In the meantime, our partners at the University of Victoria are in the process of selecting and preparing the next batch of peptides to be used in the next trial.

Last but not least, the hens continue to be busy laying the eggs as part of their contribution to the pen trials.

Pen Trial - A193

Pen trial A193 is commencing with the inculcation of the latest batch of eggs.

Conclusion of Pen Trial - A192

There is a serenity and peacefulness in this now empty space that housed our chickens throughout the trials.

The birds have been weighed and examined, tissue samples collected and sent to the lab, and the pens have been cleaned out for the next set of trials.

The next trial is set to get underway on August 9.

Pen Trial - A192

A busy summer awaits as the chicks are inoculated and hatched as the next pen trial commences.

The chicks are looking incredibly healthy and results from past pen trials have been promising. The outlook for the summer is bright as these chicks strive to reach their potential.

Conclusion of Pen Trial - A191

Another successful pen trial completed.

As trials continue, there have been discussions with the commercial farm regarding up-scaling the current pen setup to allow for additional concurrent trials. Talks are still in the early stages.

The next pen trial is scheduled for June 14.

Pen Trial - A191

The next round of pen trials begins with an injection of AMPs into the next batch of eggs, on site in Abbotsford, BC.

Conclusion of Pen Trial - A190

The second round of pen trials has concluded and the collected tissue samples have been sent to AHC for further analysis.

The next trial will begin on April 19 with PeNi4.

AMPs as Antibiotic Alternatives in Poultry Farming

“We’re very pleased to once again be hosting an AGM and Conference focused exclusively on egg producers. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Adaptability.’ It’s a trait producers and allied trades are known for: whether they are being challenged by extreme weather, disease threats or just broken equipment we know you’ll step up and get the job done!

The event schedule was built to give you the tools and networking opportunities to continue to adapt to new situations – with a little fun along the way. New this year, the AGM will launch our Conference on the afternoon of February 29, and will be followed immediately by a late afternoon Welcome Reception and Trade Show. Friday, March 1 will feature education sessions, a keynote speaker and of course our Gala Dinner.”

View Event Details →

Pen Trial - A190

We are excited to announce the start of the second round of Pen Trials with the testing of a new AMP.

The eggs will hatch over the weekend and will be placed into their pens next Monday, Feb 26.

Conclusion of Pen Trial - A189

Successful completion of the first set of AMP pen trials in collaboration with our commercial farm partner in Abbotsford, BC.

The harvested tissue samples from the flock have been sent to the Animal Health Centre (AHC), also in Abbotsford, for analysis.

Lessons learned from this trial has laid the groundwork for subsequent pen trials, which will commence with the next flock cycle on February 23.

It begins! Pen Trial - A189

The first round of pen trials officially gets underway with the injection of TeRu4 into the fertile eggs.

The eggs will be given 3 days to hatch, at which point they will be transported to the commercial farm in Abbotsford, BC where they will be raised alongside production poultry.

Day 12 will see the flock culled and additional samples sent to AHC. Harvesting of the final set of tissue samples will happen on Feb 13.

AMP Licensing

We are pleased to announce that Amphoraxe Life Sciences and the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) have signed a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement to commercialize AMPs discovered by academic collaborators.

The agreement also encompasses future improvements to AMPs, which are currently under further investigation through collaborative efforts.

Testing AMPs in poultry farms

Amphoraxe receives support from Canadian Hatching Egg Producers (CHEP) for the research on antimicrobial peptides. The supported work will help illustrate the role of AMPs in maintaining bird health while reducing the need for traditional antibiotics and the risk of antimicrobial resistance. The work is co-sponsored by Mitacs.

Learn More →

An agriculture innovation to help protect food security

Amphoraxe awarded funding under the Canada-BC Agri-Innovation Program for the development of novel antimicrobial peptides.

Learn More →

Poultry Tech Webinar Series

On November 10, 2021, Inanç Birol, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Amphoraxe Life Sciences Inc., talked about AMPs as a replacement for poultry antibiotics during the third webinar in the Poultry Tech Webinar Series.

Learn how a Vancouver-based biotechnology R&D company is evaluating the use of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides.

Could AMPs Replace Poultry Antibiotics? →
Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Using Peptides →

Amphoraxe presenting at VANTEC’s Agrifood Tech Forum on Nov 4th

It’s been a busy few months here at Amphoraxe!

We are delighted to announce that we’ve been selected to give a full five minute presentation at VANTEC’s 4th Annual Agrifood Tech Investment Forum on Wednesday November 4th, 2:30 – 6:00 pm PST. The virtual event will include panel discussions, pitches, one-on-one meetings, and networking.

We have also entered Creative Destruction Lab Vancouver’s Health program, which will help us to further accelerate our path to market. As part of the program, we have prepared a short video about the antimicrobial peptides we are developing as replacements for conventional antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine.

Watch Video →

Amphoraxe attending World Anti-Microbial Resistance Congress 2020

We will be attending the World Anti-Microbial Resistance Congress in Washington, D.C. on October 8–9, 2020.

Visit us in the Startup Zone if you’re interested in learning more about how we’re developing antimicrobial peptides as alternatives to conventional antibiotics!