Algae-Based Protein Expression Services
Combining the advantages of being able to be cultured at low cost, rapid growth, easy handling, high scale-up capability, and eukaryotic expression systems, algae can be developed as an expression platform for recombinant proteins.
With many years of experience in the biological production of algae, Lifeasible has the ability to provide professional and high-quality algae-based protein expression services.
The Protein Expression in Algae
As heritable photosynthetic organisms, algae are now being recognized for their potential as platforms for recombinant protein expression. The most commonly used eukaryotic model algae are Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. All three genomes, which include chloroplast, mitochondria, and nucleus, can be transformed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and each has distinct and unique transcriptional, translational and post-translational properties to meet variable demand.
Advantages of Algal Protein Production
Compared to bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells, algal protein production shows many advantages, such as cost less, safer, and the protein is folded.
All plant and algae protein production systems have simple cell culture systems leading to as much as four orders of magnitude less expensive on a per gram of unpurified protein basis
Proteins produced by algae and plants are not susceptible to contamination by viruses or prions, as many species of green algae are considered GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe).
As eukaryotes, algae and plants have the chaperones and cellular machinery needed to fold complex human proteins that bacteria and yeast may not be able to handle properly.
Compared to transgenic plant system, algal protein production shows many advantages, such as more environmentally friendly and less time consuming.
| More Environmentally Friendly | Less Time Consuming |
| The algae can grow in a closed bioreactor, reducing the risk of contamination of the production system with airborne contaminants while protecting the environment. | It takes only a few weeks for algae to progress from initial transformation to large-scale protein production, while the time scale for plants such as corn or tobacco is months or years. |
Applications of Algal Expressed Proteins
- Antibodies
Therapeutic antibodies can be expressed and assembled as a functional dimer in many types of algae, such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Phaeodactylum tricornutum. - Vaccines
In the last years, there have been different reports on the expression of oral vaccines and vaccines in veterinary medicine, especially in aquaculture produced by microalgae. - Animal Feed Supplements
Many algae are used as feed additives because they are rich in nutrients, as their direct generation of recombinant feed additives makes microalgae a promising low-cost expression system in this field. - Bioremediation and Environmental Control
Several strains of algae can be genetically engineered to express metallothionein, showing the removal of heavy metals such as cadmium, nickel, and zinc. Another study proposed a method for mosquito control based on algae production of insecticides.
Our Services
Algae are an ideal platform for protein production. Lifeasible has focused on developing protein production platforms for algae for many years and is capable to provide high-quality algae-based protein expression services by regulating algal culture conditions and genetic engineering of algae.
Algae Culture Services
A major obstacle to algal protein expression systems is the lack of production systems optimized for large-scale growth and harvesting of algae under photosynthetic autotrophic conditions.
Lifeasible offers professional algae isolation and culture services that can effectively increase the unit density of algae as a way to increase protein production.
Algae Engineering Services
Genetic engineering techniques and the transformation of exogenous plasmids facilitate the permanent and instantaneous production of large amounts of exogenous proteins by algae.
Lifeasible provides professional algae engineering services for the expression of exogenous proteins in the nucleus, chloroplasts, and mitochondria of algae.
Why Choose Us
With years of experience in algae research, Lifeasible has the professional equipment, rich knowledge resource, and excellent research teams to undertake quality algae-based protein expression services. Please contact us for more information.
Our services are for research use only and not for any clinical use.