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Automated construction and screening of protein expression |
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Automated imaging of protein crystallization experiments |
Ray Owens
Professor of Molecular Biology
Protein Production UK (PPUK) is being developed as a programme for protein engineering and production as part of the Structural Biology theme of the Rosalind Franklin Institute (RFI). PPUK aims to develop new and innovative methods and to work in partnership with academic groups and industry to enable uptake of the technology.
PPUK has an established pipeline for protein production based on the technology developed by the Oxford Protein Production Facility (OPPF), involving construction of multi-purpose vectors (e.g. for producing complexes, and membrane proteins), high-throughput expression screening in different cell hosts (microbial, insect and mammalian cells) combined with scale-up to multi-litre culture volumes and downstream processing. New technology platforms that are under development include production of single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) for the stabilisation of membrane proteins and macro-molecular complexes for analysis by cryo-EM.
We are using nanobody technology to identify binding agents with diagnostic and therapeutic potential for the treatment of respiratory viral diseases.
Recent publications
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Experimental phasing opportunities for macromolecular crystallography at very long wavelengths.
Journal article
El Omari K. et al, (2023), Commun Chem, 6
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The solution structure of the heavy chain-only C5-Fc nanobody reveals exposed variable regions that are optimal for COVID-19 antigen interactions.
Journal article
Gao X. et al, (2023), The Journal of biological chemistry
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Structural and mechanistic characterization of bifunctional heparan sulfate N-deacetylase-N-sulfotransferase 1
Preprint
Mycroft-West CJ. et al, (2023)
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Screening of Membrane Protein Production by Comparison of Transient Expression in Insect and Mammalian Cells
Journal article
Kaipa JM. et al, (2023), Biomolecules, 13, 817 - 817
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Marine picocyanobacterial PhnD1 shows specificity for various phosphorus sources but likely represents a constitutive inorganic phosphate transporter
Journal article
Shah BS. et al, (2023), The ISME Journal