DGAP-News: B.R.A.I.N. Biotechnology Research And Information Network AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous/Alliance B.R.A.I.N. Biotechnology Research And Information Network AG: NatLifE 2020 Strategic Alliance Given Go-Ahead After Successful Interim Review 01.03.2016 / 12:10 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRESS RELEASE NatLifE 2020 Strategic Alliance Given Go-Ahead After Successful Interim Review Alliance's second phase scheduled to commence as planned Zwingenberg, March 01, 2016 - The NatLifE 2020 strategic alliance, coordinated by BRAIN AG, was the first research alliance funded under the German Ministry of Education and Research's (BMBF) "Innovation Initiative for Industrial Biotechnology" programme, starting on February 01, 2013. In the end of the year 2015 the alliance underwent an interim review by a panel of scientific experts set up by the BMBF. The expert panel recommended to enter into Phase 2 of the strategic alliance. The NatLifE 2020 alliance partners aim at developing a new generation of sustainably produced and biologically active components, which may be used as active ingredients by the cosmetics and food industries, which in turn will notably improve the nutrition, health, well being and lives of people. The first NatLifE 2020 phase saw the publication of eight scientific papers, numerous lectures at symposia (25) as well as some initial patent applications (six plus three in the pipeline), which all highlight the extraordinary quality of what has been achieved so far in both the scientific and economic arenas. During the upcoming NatLifE stages the bioactive ingredients identified so far will now be fine-tuned with the full value chain in mind. First positive taste and application experiments involving some of the identified bioactive substances have already taken place "Phase 1 results have exceeded our expectations as coordinator in many respects. After such a short period of research it is really impressive to see how very promising some first bioactive substances perform in application tests," says Dr. Michael Krohn, Unit Head BioActives & Performance Proteins at BRAIN AG. "For the upcoming second phase of the NatLifE 2020 programme, the 22 members of the alliance, among them AB Enzymes and AnalytiCon Discovery, now include a larger number of industrial partners," explains Dr. Dirk Sombroek, coordinator of the alliance's efforts and platform coordinator at BRAIN AG. "We welcome Henkel AG & Co. KGaA as well as Phyton Biotech GmbH as our new partners. We expect them to help the alliance exploit as of yet untapped potential for synergies, in particular as regards market approval and marketing of the identified natural substances. As a new technology partner, the Lübeck-based Fraunhofer Research Institution for Marine Biotechnology further strengthens the NatLifE 2020 team." As scheduled, Phase 2 will start on March 01, 2016 and ends on February 28, 2019. The content of Phase 3, also planned for three years, will be presented to the expert panel by the end of 2018. About BRAIN BRAIN AG is one of Europe's technology leaders in the field of industrial 'white' biotechnology. Within strategic alliances, BRAIN AG has identified and developed numerous innovative products and solutions for companies in the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries by harnessing nature's untapped biodiversity. These active product components are identified by BRAIN AG and contained in the company's "BioArchive", one of the most comprehensive archives of its kind. Since its foundation in 1993, BRAIN has entered into 102 strategic cooperations with nearly every prominent company in the chemical industry. Cooperation partners include BASF, Bayer Schering, Clariant, DSM, Evonik Degussa, Henkel, Nutrinova, RWE, Sandoz, Südzucker and Symrise. The company currently employs around 120 highly skilled personnel. www.brain-biotech.de Contact: B.R.A.I.N Biotechnology Research And Information Network AG Dr. Martin Langer Executive Vice President Corporate Development Darmstädter Str. 34-36 64673 Zwingenberg, Germany Tel.: +49-6251-9331-0 Fax: +49-6251-9331-11 E-Mail: [email protected] www.brain-biotech.de About NatLifE 2020 The NatLifE 2020 strategic alliance currently unites 22 industrial, SME and academic partners. The alliance with the funding code FKZ 031A206 is scheduled to last for nine years and has a total budget of Euro 30m. After winning the bid, the alliance was the first strategic alliance to be co-funded from February 01, 2013 under the German Ministry of Education and Research's "Innovation Initiative for Industrial Biotechnology" programme. The alliance's efforts are coordinated by BRAIN AG of Zwingenberg. Phase 2, the development phase of the alliance, will last for three years and will start as planned on March 01, 2016. Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current views, expectations, and assumptions of the management of BRAIN AG and are based on information currently available to the management. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. There are numerous factors which could influence the future performance by and future developments at BRAIN AG and the BRAIN group of companies. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes in the general economic and competitive environment, risks associated with capital markets, currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in international and national laws and regulations, in particular with respect to tax laws and regulations, and other factors. BRAIN AG does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01.03.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: B.R.A.I.N. Biotechnology Research And Information Network AG Darmstädter Straße 34-36 64673 Zwingenberg Germany Phone: +49 (0) 62 51 / 9331-0 Fax: +49 (0) 62 51 / 9331-11 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.brain-biotech.de ISIN: DE0005203947 WKN: 520394 Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 441555 01.03.2016