D-Crypt
Overcoming expression challenges for 'difficult-to-express' proteins (DTE-Ps).
D-Crypt is a protein expression platform designed for high-yield production of 'difficult-to-express’ proteins (DTE-Ps). Protein expression is an essential process in therapeutic and vaccine development. D-Crypt is optimized to reduce the time, cost and risk associated with producing high quality recombinant proteins for drug and vaccine development programs. The D-Crypt platform combines a yeast expression host with a collection of more than 20 custommade expression vectors. A protease-deficient strain of Bakers’ Yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been engineered by scientists at Premas. Yeast provides an ideal eukaryotic environment for expressing recombinant proteins, retaining their correct structure and function. Yeast cells multiply rapidly and are cost-effective to maintain, enabling fast process development, easy scaling and technology transfer. Yeast culture systems have been granted GRAS ('generally recommended as safe') status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), facilitating rapid regulatory approval.
Combining a yeast expression host with proprietary expression vectors ofers unique opportunities for expressing DTE-Ps. The proprietary D-Crypt technology has been successful in expressing difcult proteins from a variety of species including viral and plant proteins. Recombinant membrane proteins are often challenging to clone, express, purify, and manufacture. However, over 70% of drug targets are membrane associated proteins, such as receptor proteins. All three classes of membrane proteins, ranging from 2-24 transmembrane domains, have been successfully expressed using DCrypt. Large, multidomain proteins and those containing solution and membrane-bound portions have also been expressed on D-Crypt. Premas proprietary expression vectors contain modifed upstream elements to modulate recombinant protein expression. These innovations enable the co-expression of multiple recombinant proteins at controlled levels to ensure functionality. Genetic variants can be easily integrated into expression vectors to rapidly modify recombinant proteins.
Premas has invested the past 10 years in developing combinatorial processes to harmonize expression systems and instrumentation for efcient, reliable scale-up. D-Crypt is a standardized process ensuring high quality, homogeneous protein samples that are ft-for-purpose for downstream applications. Premas has developed a protocol that is robust, ensuring a consistent approach that can be applied across protein types and species. The result is a workfow enabling a rapid plug-play development plan for DTE-Ps. The process is highly scalable, cost-efective and with straightforward technology transfer to Premas partners.
Advantages include:
- + Productivity: high-yield production of œdifcult-to-express’ proteins (DTE-Ps)
- + Broad spectrum: a consistent approach that can be applied across protein types and species
- + Rapid plug-play model: process is highly scalable and cost-efective
- + Easy post-scaling technology transfer to partners
D-Crypt applications include:
- + Expressing recombinant proteins as therapeutics or therapeutic targets
- + Production of proteins required for drug development processes
- + Protein-based vaccine development for human and animal health