NanotecMARIN GmbH

General description: NanotecMARIN GmbH was founded in 2007 as a spin-off company of the German Center of Excellence on Marine Biotechnology (BIOTEC-MARIN); it is located at the campus of the University of Mainz. In 2008, this SME succeeded to find partners from big industry, which are interested in the application of the technology of biosilica nanolayer formation.

Based on these developments, the number of shareholders of the company had been increased. In particular, the former German Minister for Research and Technology, Prof. Dr. Heinz Riesenhuber could be attracted, who is a member of the advisory board of a series of companies in Germany and other countries.

Expertise: One main focus of the company is the exploitation of the enzymes involved in biosilica metabolism (protected by patents), together with commercial partners. Another focus is the development of therapies for the prevention of osteoporosis and other bone disorders.

The special interest of the CEO, H.C. Schröder, is the formation of biomaterials by aquatic invertebrates and their biotechnological application in biomedicine.

He is an expert in the preparation and characterization of recombinant proteins and was involved in the discovery of several sponge genes of biotechnological/commercial interest. H.C. Schröder is a member of the German Center of Excellence on Marine Biotechnology and was the coordinator of several EU projects.