Genomes-To-Life (GTL) and Related Biotechnologies; Innovative Protein Production Technology in Microbes and Plants

Current manufacturing platforms are adequate for large-scale expression of a wide range of genetically engineered proteins, which are of interest to the DOE¿s Genomes-to-Life program. Nevertheless, these systems often fall short of the production targets of many membrane and secreted proteins. Such proteins are indispensable to cell survival and are among the most important products under development by the biopharmaceutical industry. This project will develop a novel platform technology for the production of membrane and secreted proteins based on the common pond-water ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophila. Phase I will test whether a model membrane protein can be over-expressed in this system, in a form that can be rapidly purified at low cost. A positive result will set the stage for Phase II, where the technology will be used for high-throughput expression and purification of large numbers of proteins from different species. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The technology would be made available to individual investigators and the biopharmaceutical industry through contract protein expression services and user-friendly kits, which would have direct application to vaccine development, therapeutic protein manufacture, rational drug design, and industrial processes that include alternative energy production.