Protein polymers are custom-designed material-forming proteins. They’re made by residing cells in the identical manner as different proteins, however behave like artificial molecules with particular controllable traits. They’ll, for example, reply to their setting, spontaneously type fibres and hydrogels, or adhere to tissues in our physique.
With these material-forming proteins we are able to develop new high-quality merchandise corresponding to treatment, medical purposes, cosmetics, adhesives and coatings.
Conventional materials proteins and polymers vs. protein polymers
Solely ceaselessly occurring proteins corresponding to collagen and gelatine may be extracted from pure sources in an economical manner. The primary traits of those supplies are decided by the supply and might hardly be modified, whereas the standard and attainable security dangers depend upon the origin of the animal or harvest. Furthermore, the merchandise usually include complicated protein mixtures. Protein polymers differ from these conventional materials proteins as they’ve controllable traits and are usually molecularly pure (not mixtures). As well as, they’re produced by protected, genetically pure and aseptically cultivated yeast or micro organism strains. Protein polymers additionally differ from chemical polymers, which aren’t often biodegradable or molecularly pure and barely biocompatible or biofunctional.
Creating protected and {custom} proteins
It’s a problem to develop protected protein supplies with well-controllable traits, for instance for medical, beauty and pharmaceutical purposes. Wageningen Meals & Biobased Analysis focuses on the event of latest micro organism or yeast strains that every produce one particular, custom-made protein polymer.
Designing protein polymers
In shut cooperation with our clients, we design protein polymers of which the construction and traits are in keeping with the particular calls for of the shopper. We construct the required coding genes into yeast or bacterial cells to make them repeatedly produce the identical polymer-like protein in giant portions. The amino acid sequence and block construction of the molecules in these merchandise may be decided by design. We are able to construct the molecule from, for example, silk-like or collagen-like blocks, blocks with {an electrical} cost, blocks with the tendency to type a gel, or blocks which might be enticing to cells, tissues or surfaces. We are able to additionally make the fabric react to exterior stimuli corresponding to temperature or pH. Along with the construction of the protein polymer we develop easy and upscalable purification strategies. Because of this strategy, we are able to shortly develop new merchandise and check them for a variety of traits.
Staff of specialists
Interdisciplinary groups of molecular biologists, industrial microbiologists and course of technologists inside Wageningen Meals & Biobased Analysis work on particular buyer calls for. We are able to full commissions effectively and successfully in shut cooperation with our shoppers. We design protein polymers with particular traits and produce samples. Wageningen Meals & Biobased Analysis has a wealth of analysis expertise for a variety of shoppers within the Netherlands and overseas. We additionally help shoppers within the realisation of business merchandise and assist them discover the fitting manufacturing companion(s).
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“is protein a polymer”