Secreters — A new generation of microbial expression hosts and tools for the production of biotherapeutics and high-value enzymes

Results in brief

A new generation of microbial expression hosts and tools for the production of biotherapeutics and high-value enzymes

1.1 Problem being addressed The production of proteins is of paramount importance within the biotechnology industry, with two broad forms of protein recognized: therapeutic proteins and industrial enzymes. A high proportion of the target proteins are produced in microbial systems, where secretion is a favored strategy. However, current production platforms have severe limitations and cannot handle many secreted enzymes, in particular those carrying disulphide bonds. 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 Microbial 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. Many of these proteins are difficult to produce and carry disulphide bonds. • 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. • The yeast Pichia pastoris is an upcoming emerging platform because of its high secretion capacity. 1.3 Overall objectives The overall objective of Secreters research was to improve the sustainability and economic viability of industrial protein production in bacteria and P. pastoris and to enhance both product quality and quantity with particular focus on disulphide bonded proteins.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The ‘SECRETERS’ partnership aims to bring about a step change in the production of recombinant proteins, particularly Biotherapeutics and Industrial Enzymes. Both are critical products for the EU biotechnology sector, with combined markets in excess of $140 billion p.a.; the former are essential for the treatment of major diseases whereas the latter permeate every aspect of our daily life. Many proteins in these categories pose severe problems in production, especially disulphide-bonded proteins and new format 'difficult-to-express' proteins. SECRETERS will train a team of 15 ESRs to develop a new generation of super-producing microbial production hosts, including Escherichia coli, Bacillus species and the yeast Pichia pastoris. The project capitalises on a series of recent innovations and involves close collaboration between 5 academic Beneficiaries, who provide world-leading expertise in redox chemistry, synthetic biology and protein expression, and 5 non-academic Beneficiaries, who include some of the world's premier biotherapeutic and industrial enzyme companies. It will enable the biotherapeutics industry to produce challenging medicines at lower costs, resulting in new drugs and wider patient access, and allow the enzymes industry to deliver a range of powerful new products. SECRETERS will equip ESRs with the interdisciplinary and intersectoral skills required to thrive in these industries, with quality assurance systems embedded throughout the programme and a commitment to a wide-ranging dissemination/outreach programme. Based on a responsible innovation approach, with clear foci on research and entrepreneurial training, SECRETERS will deliver a team of superbly-trained scientists, poised to engage in some of Europe's most important biotechnology sectors.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS GRONINGEN · GroningenCoordinatorNetherlands
AB ENZYMES GMBH · DARMSTADTGermany
ACIB GMBH · GrazAustria
BIOMIN HOLDING GMBH · GETZERSDORF BEI TRAISMAUERAustria
BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM RCV GMBH & CO KG · WienAustria
CELLTECH R&D LIMITED · SloughUnited Kingdom
Gedeon Richter Plc. · BudapestHungary
HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAET ZU BERLIN · BerlinGermany
LONZA AG · BaselSwitzerland
OULUN YLIOPISTO · OuluFinland
POLYMUN SCIENTIFIC IMMUNBIOLOGISCHE FORSCHUNG GMBH · KLOSTERNEUBURGAustria
UCB PHARMA SA · Bruxelles / BrusselBelgium
UNIVERSITAET FUER BODENKULTUR WIEN · WienAustria
UNIVERSITAET GREIFSWALD · GreifswaldGermany
UNIVERSITATSMEDIZIN GREIFSWALD KORPERSCHAFT DES OFFENTLICHEN RECHTS · GreifswaldGermany
UNIVERSITY OF KENT · Canterbury, KentUnited Kingdom

Secreters · A new generation of microbial expression hosts and tools for the production of biotherapeutics and high-value enzymes

Results in brief

A new generation of microbial expression hosts and tools for the production of biotherapeutics and high-value enzymes

Project objective

Participants

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