Better yields for bioproducts
fluorescens that can be used to improve the yield of
recombinant proteins made in fermentation vats.
The microbial expression platform is built around engineered strains of P fluorescens that it claims can increase cellular expression of recombinant proteins compared to other microbial cultures.
This could provide Dowpharma with a competitive advantage in its contract biopharmaceutical manufacturing business, as it should be able to produce more protein per reactor, potentially cutting costs.
Importantly, the new system does not have any impact on either the solubility of the recombinant proteins produced, or their activity. And Dowpharma claims that it has other properties, including easier recovery and purification, that not typically seen in other microbial host cell systems.
Nick Hyde, business director at Dowpharma, said: "This improved performance will positively impact our biopharmaceutical customers' bottom lines."
Meanwhile, Dowpharma believes it may also have an advantage in terms of the speed in which it can engineer P fluorescens to express a customer's protein.
"Because we have fully sequenced, annotated and researched the genome, we can quickly and easily modify the strains to increase the expression of a particular client's biotherapeutic," noted Hyde. This should shorten the time it takes from the start of the project to the delivery of material for use in clinical trials, he added. The fermentation is also readily scalable to allow commercial manufacture, according to the company.
In the coming year, Dowpharma will be presenting data at conferences in both the US and Europe, describing the performance of P fluorescens in the production of therapeutic proteins.
For further information on the expression system, contact Patrick Lucy or visit the company's website.
