Lithuanian researchers named finalists in European Young Inventors Prize 2025

A team from Vilnius University’s Life Sciences Centre (VU LSC) is among the top ten finalists in the European Patent Office’s ‘Young Inventors Prize 2025’, selected from over 450 global entries. The Lithuanian innovators - Laurynas Karpus, Vykintas Jauniškis, and Irmantas Rokaitis - are co-founders of biotech start-up Biomatter.

Their nominated innovation, Intelligent Architecture™, developed at VU LSC’s Institute of Biotechnology with Professor Rolandas Meškys and Dr Donatas Repečka, is an AI-based platform that designs new enzymes from scratch, avoiding the limitations of modifying existing natural enzymes.

“We’ve created an enzyme design technology limited only by our imagination,” the researchers explain. “This opens up new possibilities for addressing critical challenges in health and sustainability in the 21st century.”

This approach combines machine learning, physics-based modelling, and lab testing to create efficient, tailor-made enzymes for diverse applications, including biologics production, drug development, and sustainable chemical synthesis.

Biomatter, founded in 2018 following the breakthrough ProteinGAN algorithm, raised €6.5 million in 2024 to advance its platform. Its enzymes are now used globally in areas such as infant nutrition, gene therapy, and vaccine development, with partners including Kirin and ArcticZymes Technologies.

The Young Inventors Prize recognises innovators under 30 whose work supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Winners will be announced on 18 June 2025 in Reykjavík, Iceland.

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