Design, Construction and Testing of Recombinant Protein Production Systems for Industrial Biotechnology
Explore innovative bacterial protein production systems using cheap, non-toxic inducers to reduce biopharmaceutical manufacturing costs. Engineer and test E. coli expression platforms with novel control systems driven by alternative molecules like nitrate and urea.
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Project Description
Project Overview
This research focuses on engineering novel recombinant protein production (RPP) systems within Escherichia coli by harnessing alternative inducer molecules that are cheap, non-toxic, and widely available, such as nitrate and urea. Current industrial RPP systems rely on expensive and sometimes toxic inducers like IPTG, limiting practical and economic feasibility. Through synthetic biology, this project develops transcription factor-driven expression systems to produce therapeutically and industrially relevant proteins efficiently.
What You Will Do
You will design, construct, and experimentally test new recombinant expression systems responsive to unconventional inducers. The work involves molecular biology techniques to engineer regulatory elements, biochemical assays to measure protein yield, and biotechnological methods to optimize system performance. The project offers extensive training in molecular biology, biochemical methods, and industrial biotechnology applications.
Expected Outcomes
The project expects to deliver novel E. coli expression chassis capable of high-level, tightly controlled recombinant protein production using economical inducers like garden fertilizer components or urine. Demonstrated production of proteins such as human growth hormone (hGH) at competitive yields will highlight the platform’s applicability, especially in low-resource settings.
Why This Matters
By drastically reducing inducer costs and removing toxicity issues, this work could revolutionize affordable biopharmaceutical manufacturing worldwide. It addresses global challenges in therapeutic protein supply and industrial biomanufacturing in resource-limited environments, expanding accessibility and reducing reliance on costly reagents.
Entry Requirements
How to Apply
Eligibility
Supervisor Profile
Dr Douglas Browning leads research at Aston University on innovative microbial biotechnology with a focus on recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli. His work applies synthetic biology to engineer novel gene expression systems that are cost-effective and scalable for industrial applications. He is known for pioneering inducers that vastly reduce recombinant protein production costs, aiming to enhance biopharmaceutical accessibility worldwide.