Genetic Engineering of Microalgae for Therapeutic Protein Production

Recombinant protein biopharmaceutical production is a huge emerging market for disease treatment. Genetic tools in algae offer new applications for producing and delivering biopharmaceutical recombinant proteins. Here, Lifeasible offers specialized solutions for the genetic engineering of microalgae for therapeutic protein production.

Introduction

Biopharmaceuticals are drugs synthesized in living organisms to prevent or treat disease and include recombinantly produced vaccines, antibodies, enzymes, hormones, antibiotics, cytokines, growth factors, thrombolytic agents, and immune signaling proteins. Many expression systems are available for large-scale production of therapeutic proteins, such as bacteria, yeast, mammalian cells, and insect cells. However, each of these systems has its advantages and disadvantages. In recent years, microalgae have been considered an ideal candidate for safer, efficient, and economical therapeutic production methods. It is used in the production and delivery of biopharmaceuticals. It is able to overcome the disadvantages of high cost, product range, product efficacy, low yield, contamination risk, vulnerability, and immunogenic effects. Moreover, nuclei and chloroplasts can be genetically manipulated to produce biopharmaceuticals in green microalgae.

Fig 1. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a versatile recombinant protein production platform. (Specht E, et al., 2010)

Customized Solutions

The unique advantages of microalgae and our advanced transgenic microalgae technology have led us to develop the tremendous potential of this photosynthetic unicellular plant as a platform for recombinant protein expression. Lifeasible has established a full-fledged Chlamydomonas reinhardtii production center to develop biopharmaceuticals for various medical applications. We have sequenced the three genomes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (chloroplast, mitochondria, and nucleus). We can realize that each of these genomes can be transformed in Chlamydomonas with different transcriptional, translational, and post-translational properties.

Production of Antibiotic

We have expressed a fusion protein with in vitro bactericidal activity by transforming antimicrobial peptide sequences into microalgae using a plant expression vector and promoter. In addition, we expressed ToAMP4 in microalgae to exhibit antifungal activity.

Production of Human proteins

We expressed various human proteins in algae, including cytokines and growth factors.

Production of Antigens and Vaccines

Conventional vaccines are usually produced from attenuated or inactivated forms of the pathogenic organism itself. We use microalgae as a platform for the expression of pathogenic antigens to produce oral vaccines on a large scale.

In addition, we are developing other algal systems to produce recombinant therapeutic proteins.

• Dunaliella Salina
• H. pluvialis
• Chlorella sp.
• Nannochloropsis Oculata
• Schizochytrium sp.
• P. tricornutum

Advantages of Our Solutions

• Microalgae are readily available at the reduced material cost.
• All three genomes (chloroplast, mitochondria, and nucleus) can be transformed in microalgae.
• Microalgae contain a very complex protein folding mechanism lacking in bacteria and other prokaryotes.
• Microalgae can produce complex eukaryotic proteins without going through expensive denaturation and refolding steps.
• The proteins produced by microalgae are not susceptible to viral or prion contamination.
• Many species of microalgae are considered to be safe to choose from.
• It takes only a few weeks for algae to go from initial transformation to large-scale protein production.

At Lifeasible, we can quickly help you produce recombinant therapeutic proteins in microalgae through genetic engineering. We are your trusted partner in all aspects of microalgae research. If you are interested in our solutions for the genetic engineering of microalgae for therapeutic protein production, please do not hesitate to contact us.