Prama Ghosh, Amity University Kolkata
The current critical situation due to COVID–19 has resulted in excessive centralization of biomanufacturing capacities which is a matter of great concern. But on the brighter side, sharing of scientific data and information globally at an unprecedented speed has helped strengthen our ability in developing new solutions based on technology. Speaking of which, the manufacture of bioreagents specifically recombinant antibodies from plant bio-factories is being explored.
For this purpose, the production of six different monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Nicotiana benthamiana is tested in academic labs and a matter of weeks. For designing the antibodies, DNA sequence information was made rapidly available among other data sources by other groups in preprint publications. Engineered single-chain fragments of monoclonal antibodies were fused to a human gamma Fc which was transiently expressed using a viral vector. Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein and its Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) in plants were produced simultaneously. These were further used to test the binding capacity of the antibodies.
The results indicated that anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies could be easily produced in gram amounts in a little more than 6 weeks by using N. benthamiana used as a production platform in repurposed greenhouses with little infrastructure requirements. With the help of similar procedures, diagnostic reagents can also be produced which will provide rapid therapeutic responses.
Also read: Cancer Vaccines: A Concoction Strategy to fight Leukemia
Reference: Pilot production of SARS-CoV-2 related proteins in plants: a proof of concept for rapid repurposing of indoors farms into biomanufacturing facilities, Borja Diego-Martin, Beatriz González, Marta Vazquez-Vilar, Sara Selma, Rubén Mateos-Fernández, Silvia Gianoglio, Asun Fernández-del-Carmen, Diego Orzaez, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.13.331306
Ministry of AYUSH | Siddha Central Research Biotech Research Recruitment
-Shristi Sharma, Team bioXone Siddha Central Research Jobs – Biotech & Mol Bio JRF Vacancy. MSc Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Job Openings. Junior Research Fellow Vacancy at Siddha Central Research Institute. Interested and eligible applicants can check out all of the details on the same below: Name of the Post: Junior Research Fellow(Pharmacology) No. of […]