Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Biocatalysis Enzyme Toolkit really free-of-charge?
Yes!!! – after signing a Prozomix “Evaluation Agreement”, “Enzyme Supply Agreement” or “Enzyme Discovery and Supply Agreement”, a customer can request any of the more than 50 panels of biocatalysis enzymes free-of-charge, including the shipping!
For further information see our Biocatalysis Enzyme Toolkit page or contact: technical@prozomix.com
What Biocatalysis Enzyme Toolkit materials can I get free-of-charge?
Toolkit enzymes are supplied in 96- or 384-format, with 1 mg of each enzyme in each respect well. Subsequent to screening, 50-150 mg vials of enzymes of interest are supplied for hit confirmation. There is no limit to how many plates or vials can be received free-of-charge, and shipping is always free too!
For further information see our Biocatalysis Enzyme Toolkit page or contact: technical@prozomix.com
Just how many enzymes have you got?
Prozomix has developed over 50 panels of novel biocatalysis enzymes, totalling more than 6000 native enzymes, the vast majority of which come from proprietary metagenomic databases researched by Prozomix from diverse UK environmental samples.
For further information see our Biocatalysis Enzyme Toolkit page or contact: technical@prozomix.com
What are recombinant enzymes, and how do they differ from native (or natural) enzymes?
Generally speaking Prozomix recombinant enzymes are the same as their native (natural) counterparts, except they have been produced in a controlled laboratory system (bacterial). In general terms, as there are no differences in the amino acid sequence of the recombinant enzyme compared to the native one, the biological activity will invariably be identical. The advantage of recombinant enzymes is that you can produce large quantities very fast and reproducibly via bacterial fermentation!
For further information please contact: technical@prozomix.com
You have updated your website and I can’t find a product I once bought from Prozomix, what do I do?
We apologise for any convenience caused by launching our new website in early April 2024, it is highly likely we still offer the product you can’t currently see. We have only discontinued “Industrial Enzymes” and “NZYTech Products”.
For further information please contact: sales@prozomix.com
Why is a research enzyme I purchased in a high concentration of ammonium sulphate?
NB – all our biocatalysis enzymes are supplied by default as crude lyophilised powders, like for most other suppliers! Actually, only our research enzyme range is supplied purified in ammonium sulphate. Also, each biocatalysis enzyme, supplied as crude powder, does contain a poly-histidine tag, should you ever be interested to purify one yourself, or you can ask us to do that for you!
A traditional method of preserving enzymes is to precipitate them with a high concentration of salt. The most popular salt employed is ammonium sulphate, as it has excellent precipitating qualities (ability to dehydrate the protein surface), is inexpensive, is non-toxic, and does not interfere with many biochemical applications (at the final concentration employed, i.e. after dilution in the assay).
Should ammonium sulphate interfere with an application, other custom formats are available on request, such as a freeze-dried preparation.
For further information regarding anything above, please contact: technical@prozomix.com
Do you provide protein sequence information?
Biocatalysis Enzyme Toolkit Users can request protein sequence information for small numbers of confirmed hits in order to perform IP searches with respect to checking FTO in relation to the sequence(s) involved and their specific process.
DNA and protein sequence information is also provided for Toolkit users wishing to perform protein engineering (terms apply as stated in the agreement they signed).
The use of any DNA and / or protein sequence information is strictly governed by the agreement in place with a customer, and in no circumstances, for example, can such sequence information be used by any customer as seed information for discovering an alternative enzyme / building an alternative screening panel.
Primary sequence information is, however, made freely available for the range of research enzymes provided by Prozomix!
For any further information please contact: technical@prozomix.com
Do I need to be an existing customer to become a Prozomix Commercial Academic Partner (CAP)?
Not at all, it is assumed our Commercial Academic Partners (CAPs) will be more like collaborators than customers, and wherever possible they will be supplied with anything of interest free-of-charge!
For further information please contact: technical@prozomix.com
As a Commercial Academic Partner (CAP), how often do I receive my royalty payments?
An annual royalty payment is calculated from sales to the end of October each year, and paid at the start of November.
For further information please contact: technical@prozomix.com
Does a recombinant enzyme require associated academic literature to be considered for the Commercial Academic Partner (CAP) Programme?
No, any recombinant enzyme, regardless of whether or not scientific literature exists, is eligible for the Commercial Academic Partner (CAP) Programme. Indeed, it is hoped that the CAP Programme will afford further use to such unpublished research, where, for example, no further research was performed because of the publication of competing work, or where library screening led to the cloning and expression of genes of already known sequence / function, etc, etc.
For further information please contact: technical@prozomix.com
How many days does delivery take?
Unless stated otherwise shipping will be free-of-charge, and delivery will be within 2 days by courier to most locations (Europe, USA, etc) if order placed before midday (UK time). Some locations such as Australia will require an additional day for delivery. However, although we document our products thoroughly, from time to time a package will be delayed while passing through customs. NB – all our products are stable enough to avoid damage during such a period, and we will inform you electronically if any such delay becomes significant.
For further information please contact: sales@prozomix.com
Do discounts apply to large orders / bulk enzymes?
A major advantage over other biocatalysis enzyme suppliers, is that Prozomix offers biocatalysts against a global commoditised price list, meaning you will always know exactly how much a particular amount of enzyme will cost, and there is no need for negotiation. Also, given our prices are the same for every customer everywhere in the world, we have no reason to hide our prices:
PRICE LIST (in USD) AS HIGH QUALITY CRUDE POWDER
100 mg free-of-charge
1 g = 340
10 g = 575
100 g = 3850
1 kg = 17050
10 kg= 55000
100 kg = 165000
For further information please contact: sales@prozomix.com
Dependent on the size of the order, and the product(s) involved, large order / bulk enzyme discounts may be available (please enquire to info@prozomix.com).
Are free samples available?
Yes, free samples of all our biocatalysis enzymes are available along with free shipping, in 50-150 mg vial and 96-/384-plate format!
For further information please contact: sales@prozomix.com
What do I do if I require technical assistance?
All technical queries are answered within 24 h, regardless of when they are made. During Prozomix laboratory working hours (Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 6 pm UK time) technical queries by telephone to the UK (+ 44 (0)1434 400455) will be dealt with immediately.
For further information please contact: technical@prozomix.com
Are any of your products of animal or plant origin as defined for import / export restrictions?
No, our products are not derived from plants or animals – this is a major advantage of recombinant enzymes from suppliers like Prozomix, who only use animal-free / BSE Certified chemicals and components throughout their entire production systems!
For further information please contact: technical@prozomix.com
Who is my local distributor for Prozomix products?
We supply direct to all our global customers!
For further information please contact: sales@prozomix.com