Nuclera Acquires E Ink Digital Microfluidics Unit

Nuclera, a fast-growing biotech company developing enzymatic protein and gene synthesis technologies, and E Ink, the leading innovator of electronic ink technology, are pleased to announce the acquisition of E Ink’s digital microfluidics unit into the newly formed US subsidiary of Nuclera. Combining the technologies of the two companies will enable the delivery of a revolutionary desktop protein and gene “bioprinter” with breakthrough speed and convenience for researchers in human health, agriculture, and other markets of global importance.

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Nuclera desktop bioprinter powered by digital microfluidic technology. (Photo: Business Wire)

Nuclera has been working in a strategic partnership with E Ink since 2018 to deploy Nuclera’s proprietary biopolymer synthesis technologies on E Ink’s digital microfluidic devices. Instead of the physical channels found in conventional microfluidics, digital microfluidics uses electronic signals to guide microdroplets. When combined with Nuclera biopolymer synthesis, this advanced lab-on-a-chip technology will enable a user to digitally program the next day bioprinting of proteins and genes on a desktop device. The result is a bioprinter that gives unprecedented access to biology. Commercialization is expected in 2022.

In the transaction, E Ink will contribute intellectual property, equipment, and highly specialized scientists and engineers. Reciprocally, E Ink will become the largest strategic shareholder in Nuclera. The resulting Nuclera US subsidiary will be co-located within the E Ink Innovation Center in Billerica, MA, a short distance from the growing biotech technology hub in Cambridge, MA. The combination of these two efforts into one company will further increase the rate of development, commercialization, and adoption of this ground-breaking product as well as consolidate the intellectual property position. E Ink will continue to be a strategic supplier to Nuclera for key electronic components of Nuclera’s desktop bioprinter.

Dr. Michael Chen, Co-founder and CEO of Nuclera, commented: “Our partner, E Ink, made reading accessible by printing words with electronic ink. We are proud to work with E Ink to make biology accessible by printing biology with digital microfluidics. This acquisition allows Nuclera to combine the biological with the digital in one product and under one roof. We now look forward to further strengthening our strategic partnership with E Ink through joint R&D, manufacturing, and product development projects.”

Dr. Michael McCreary, Chief Innovation Officer of E Ink said: “This spinout and ongoing relationship with Nuclera gives E Ink the opportunity to leverage our knowledge and capabilities in electronic paper technology into the growing biotechnology sector which has increasingly critical importance to the current and future challenges in global health and sustainability. We are pleased to be able participate in this market through an equity stake in Nuclera and look forward to the continuing relationship as a strategic supplier to and equity partner with Nuclera.”

For more information, about Nuclera, visit https://www.nuclera.com.

About Nuclera

Nuclera is the leading pioneer in making biology accessible through desktop enzymatic protein and gene synthesis. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Nuclera was founded in 2013 by four PhD students at the University of Cambridge who were frustrated by the inaccessibility of biology. Nuclera has since grown to fifty-seven employees across two continents as the Company delivers on its founders’ vision to make biology accessible to everyone through desktop bioprinting. With desktop bioprinting, researchers and scientists will be empowered to take control of biology through streamlined access to a next-day supply of proteins and genes. Three exciting Nuclera technologies protected by 45+ patents enable Nuclera’s desktop bioprinter: enzymatic protein synthesis, enzymatic gene synthesis, and digital microfluidics. The combination of these technologies in a deployable desktop bioprinting platform create an unprecedented one-stop shop ecosystem that enables Nuclera to provide consistent biological workflows, products, and information to its customers. To be a part of Nuclera’s effort or to simply learn more, please visit www.nuclera.com.

About E Ink Holdings

E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TW), based on technology from MIT’s Media Lab, has transformed and defined the eReader market, enabling a new multi-billion dollar market in less than 10 years. E Ink’s low power products are ideal for IoT applications ranging from retail, home, hospital, transportation and more, enabling customers to put displays in locations previously impossible. The Company’s corporate philosophy aims to deliver revolutionary products, user experiences and environmental benefits through advanced technology development. This vision has led to its continuous investments in the field of ePaper displays as well as expanding the use of its technologies into a number of other markets and applications including smart packaging and fashion. Its Electrophoretic Display products make it the worldwide leader for ePaper. Its Fringe Field Switching (FFS) technologies are a standard for high-end LCD displays and have been licensed to all major liquid crystal display makers in the world. Listed in Taiwan's Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world's largest supplier of ePaper displays. For more information please visit www.eink.com.

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