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H2020Doctoral network2015–2018

ProteinFactory · Engineering of new-generation protein secretion systems

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2015-01-01 → 2018-12-31
EU contribution
€3,685,073
Participants
11
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Engineering of new-generation protein secretion systems

1.1 Problem addressed The production of proteins is of paramount importance within the biotechnology industry, with three broad forms of protein recognized: therapeutic proteins, industrial enzymes, and membrane proteins. Many target proteins are produced in bacteria, where secretion is a favored strategy. However, current production platforms have severe limitations and cannot handle many secreted enzymes and membrane proteins. Hence there is an overwhelming need for new production systems to deliver these products in greater yields, with higher quality and at lower costs. 1.2 Importance for society Bacterial protein secretion systems are of great importance for society: • Therapeutic proteins (biopharmaceuticals): Escherichia coli is used to produce over 30% of the therapeutic proteins approved to date, among which recombinant antibodies are the fastest growing group. • Industrial enzymes such as amylases, lipases and proteases, are usually produced in bacilli. These enzymes are used in detergent and food industries and play important roles in the daily life of many people. Efficient enzymes are also key to sustainable biotech-based alternatives to traditional chemical processes. • Membrane proteins are of huge biomedical importance as potential drug targets. 1.3. Overall objectives The overall objective of ProteinFactory research was to improve the sustainability and economic viability of industrial protein production in bacteria and to enhance both product quality and quantity.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The market for recombinant proteins, including biopharmaceuticals, industrial enzymes and membrane proteins, is estimated to be about 78 billion Euro and rising. A high proportion of the target proteins are produced in bacteria, where secretion out of the cytoplasm is a favoured strategy. However, current production platforms have severe limitations and cannot handle many secreted enzymes and membrane proteins. There is an overwhelming need for new production systems that can deliver these products in greater yields, with higher quality and at lower costs. The 'ProteinFactory' ETN will meet these challenges through the provision of a suite of super-secreting strains with unique capabilities. These strains will be engineered to bypass major production bottlenecks such as secretion stress, and will be capable of secreting an unprecedented range of target molecules. Equally important will be the training of a new generation of researchers, versed in Systems and Synthetic Biology approaches. The ProteinFactory project will involve extensive collaboration between 6 academic Institutes, who provide world-leading expertise in synthetic biology and protein secretion, and 5 non-academic partners who include some of the world's premier biotechnology companies. Training will be inter-sectoral from the outset, with every ESR undertaking extensive secondments within the non-academic partners in order to encourage an entrepreneurial mind-set. The project is furthermore explicitly multi-disciplinary in scope, with two of the five research work packages dominated by theoretical approaches. Based on a responsible innovation approach and with a clear focus on inter-sectoral collaboration, ProteinFactory will deliver a cohort of superbly-trained scientists, put the industrial and SME partners at the forefront of global competition and reinforce European innovation potentials with growth and job creation.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS GRONINGEN · GroningenCoordinatorNetherlands
  • Abera Biosciences AB · STOCKHOLMSweden
  • CELLTECH R&D LIMITED · SloughUnited Kingdom
  • DSM FOOD SPECIALTIES BV · DelftNetherlands
  • HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAET ZU BERLIN · BerlinGermany
  • INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT · ParisFrance
  • NOVOZYMES A/S · BagsvaerdDenmark
  • STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET · StockholmSweden
  • UCB PHARMA SA · Bruxelles / BrusselBelgium
  • UNIVERSITAET GREIFSWALD · GreifswaldGermany
  • UNIVERSITY OF KENT · Canterbury, KentUnited Kingdom

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union