Our Pop-Out-PlasmidTM Technology allows to produce recombinant proteins in E. coli without any selection marker (antibiotic-free) and without adding an inducer like IPTG. As a plus, our technology decouples growth and production stages.
News
14 Aug 2024
We have been boosted by grants!
Gearbox Biosciences has received a grant (35 000 EUR) from Enterprise Estonia to support development of a high cell density bioreactor process for POP technology. We will tune the process parameters to match the growth-to-production switch in our bacteria. This project is co-funded by the European Union.
We have also received a deep tech start-up grant (48 000 EUR) for business development and market segment analysis. Project funds come from the Estonian R&D budget.
13 April 2023
NEW PRODUCT: E. coli strain for antibiotic-free protein production
We are happy to announce the novel product line of E. coli cells equipped with both Switcher and Pop-Out-PlasmidTM technologies. We believe to serve our partners with highly beneficial features:
- antibiotic-free production with stable markerless plasmid (no resistance gene or addiction system)
- growth-decoupled production stage
- inducible protein expression without chemical inducers
See below our Pop-Out-Plasmid video on how we make it possible!
12 April 2023
Check how our Pop-Out-PlasmidTM technology works
A video explaining our innovative technology for antibiotic-free protein production in E. coli.
Technology
Gearbox Biosciences is developing a new type of production strains for industrial recombinant protein production.
Pop-Out-PlasmidTM Tehnology is our most advanced expression system for E. coli.
In Pop-Out-PlasmidTM Technology the gene of interest is integrated as a single copy into the host chromosome and therefore is stably maintained during the biomass growth stage at 30ºC. At the desired time the production stage can be switched on by temporarily increasing the culture temperature to 37ºC. This triggers a series of events at the molecular level:
1) Cell division is stopped by excision of the origin of replication, oriC from the bacterial chromosome. The mechanism is the basis of our patent pending Switcher Technology, in which the Switched cells do not divide but remain metabolically active. This decouples protein production from cellular growth and increases protein expression. Please find more details about Switcher Technology from our research published in ACS Synthetic Biology here.
2) The gene of interest together with other genetic elements is excised from the chromosome and forms a replicating plasmid. The copy number of this plasmid increases because a plasmid-specific origin of replication becomes active. Consequently, this results in a high protein expression level. Most importantly, the production process is antibiotic-free, because plasmids cannot be lost from non-dividing cells.
3) Protein expression can be induced by relocating a promoter in front of the encoding gene during plasmid formation. No chemical inducer is needed.
The animated video below will give a better visual overview of the Pop-Out-Plasmid Technology and its key benefits.
Team
Gearbox Biosciences is a spin-off company from University of Tartu, Estonia.
Advisors
SIMON TRANCART, CivEng
Advisor
BIO
Simon is an engineer by training (ECP and Poli-USP). He transitioned into biotechnologies in 2013, co-founding biotech companies Heurisko (2013) and Altar (2017) that specialised on technologies of the adaptive laboratory evolution of microorganisms.
Following Altar’s acquisition by Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. in October 2022, Simon served as the Head of Adaptive Laboratory Evolution at Ginkgo Bioworks. Since October 2024 he has joined Lesaffre. Simon is bringing his valuable biotech startup co-founding and exiting experience to our startup team.
MICHAEL MILLER, PhD
Advisor
BIO
Michael has 17 years of bioindustry experience developing and using state-of-the-art technology to address real-world commercial needs. He brings technical depth in host improvement, enzyme engineering and process development along with practical experience in R&D team management and external technology sourcing.
Michael has worked in technology leadership roles at Genencor/DuPont/IFF and Codexis, Inc. He earned his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from U.C. Berkeley and was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University.
Collaborations
Contact
We are open for partnering and R&D collaborations.
Our POP technology is available for licensing.
OÜ Gearbox Biosciences
Registry code: 16215205
VAT number: EE102380217
Address:
Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu
Estonia