LenioBio partners with AffinityAI to accelerate discovery of novel complex proteins through AI-guided design and high-throughput cell-free expression

DÜSSELDORF, Germany, Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LenioBio GmbH today announced a strategic partnership with AffinityAI, a Danish start-up pioneering AI-driven protein design. This collaboration combines LenioBio's proprietary cell-free protein expression platform, ALiCE®, with AffinityAI's advanced design engine, Designerbodies™, to significantly accelerate the discovery and optimization de novo proteins.

By integrating AI-guided protein design with high-throughput cell-free expression, the partnership closes the traditional "lab-in-loop" gap, enabling design, testing, and feedback cycles to be completed in days rather than weeks. AffinityAI's computational pipeline rapidly generate and refine novel protein sequences, while LenioBio's ALiCE® platform enables immediate expression and scalable production without the limitations of living cells. This synergy enables faster screening, iterative optimization, and expression of even the most challenging proteins.

"We have reinvented cell-free protein expression to fully harness the power of AI-driven protein design", said André Goerke, CEO of LenioBio. "ALiCE® combines the openness and flexibility of a cell-free system with the scalability of cell-based platforms. Together with AffinityAI, we can accelerate discovery cycles and bring precision-designed protein therapeutics to development much faster."

AffinityAI specializes in the in-silico design of high-affinity, stable binding proteins called Designerbodies™. Unlike conventional antibodies, Designerbodies™ are designed with predefined binding sites, offering superior precision and control. These designs will be rapidly screened and optimized using ALiCE®, creating an automated, high-throughput pipeline for next-generation protein products for drug development, diagnostics, and biomedical research.

"LenioBio's ALiCE® system perfectly complements our AI-based approach", said Timothy P. Jenkins, PhD, Head of Data Science and Associate Professor at DTU Bioengineering and CEO of AffinityAI. "Together, we can deliver Designerbodies™ faster, at higher throughput, and with greater precision than ever before."

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in accelerating the development of novel protein therapeutics, combining cutting-edge AI design with scalable, cell-free expression technology.

About LenioBio

LenioBio GmbH is a biotechnology company pioneering cell-free protein expression with its ALiCE® platform, enabling rapid discovery, development, and scalable production of proteins beyond the limits of living cells. Founded in Germany in 2016, LenioBio is headquartered in Düsseldorf with R&D and manufacturing facilities in Aachen. Learn more at www.leniobio.com and follow LenioBio on LinkedIn.

About AffinityAI

AffinityAI is a Danish biotechnology company specializing in AI-guided protein design. Its proprietary Designerbodies™ are fully synthetic, small proteins engineered to bind specifically to selected epitopes on target proteins. Designed and delivered significantly faster than traditional antibody discovery methods, Designerbodies™ have broad applications across drug development, diagnostics, and biomedical research. Headquartered in Copenhagen, AffinityAI works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biotechnology to accelerate the next generation of therapeutic innovation. Learn more at affinityai.dk.

Media Contact:

Akanksha Ranjit
Marketing & Communications
LenioBio GmbH
a.ranjit@leniobio.com

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