Biotech Updates

Scientists to Improve Yield of Moss' Recombinant Proteins

September 4, 2013

The University of Freiburg's Plant Biotechnology unit and the biopharmaceutical company greenovation Biotech GmbH, both in Germany, will work together to enhance the yield of recombinant proteins from moss. Protein production in moss offers advantages over conventional production systems that are based on animal cells: moss cultures do not contain animal-derived components, or pathogens that can affect humans, nor antibiotics that may cause resistance. Further, products from moss have a superior purity.

The moss Physcomitrella patens can be grown in closed containers such as bioreactors with a volume of up to 500 liters. During the researchers' analysis of the Physcomitrella genome, they discovered novel gene regulatory elements which may help to make protein production in moss even stronger and more reliable. In the new joint project, their know-how will be combined with that of greenovation in its production at large scale. Glycoproteins from moss can be used as biopharmaceuticals for the treatment of human diseases. Other products that can be derived are human growth factors that are required by researchers for tissue culture.

See the University of Freiburg's news release at http://www.pr.uni-freiburg.de/pm/2013/pm.2013-08-21.224-en?set_language=en.