Benefits of Recombinants
Benefits of Recombinants
We are excited to let you know the Recombinant Protein Development Team at Scripps Laboratories is creating recombinant versions of the high-quality proteins we have been supplying to researchers and the clinical diagnostic industry for more than 35 years. Our extensive experience purifying native proteins guides our recombinant development efforts, as we draw on this knowledge to engineer our production and purification strategies. Through this process, we have identified several benefits to recombinant proteins, such as consistent product performance, enhanced product availability, and increased production capacity.
We encourage you to read the passages below and discover how recombinant proteins from Scripps Laboratories can benefit your work.
Comparable Performance to Native Forms
From inception to completion, our Recombinant Protein Development Team focuses on producing recombinant proteins that perform as closely as possible to the native forms. We use proprietary techniques to ensure proper folding and to maintain protein integrity during purification. Our recombinant proteins are assayed on multiple clinical analyzers and other antibody-based assays such as western blot and ELISA. In addition, SDS-PAGE, HPLC, and isoelectric focusing profiles are determined. This allows us to offer recombinant proteins that are recognized by a variety of antibody-based assay systems.
No Interference from Protein Contaminants
Many native proteins are purified from starting materials which contain proteins that are similar to the target protein being purified. These contaminating proteins are troublesome because they can cause interference in immunoassays or other assay systems. In addition, protein contaminants contribute to lengthy purifications. Recombinant proteins are not likely to contain a protein that is biologically or structurally similar to the protein being purified. This results in a cleaner final product, without even trace amounts of native contaminating proteins.
Produced Without Affinity Tags
Our purification expertise allows us to produce recombinant proteins without the use of affinity tags. Commonly used tags, such as polyhistidine and glutathione S-transferase, make purification simpler, but may have an adverse effect on the structure and function of the expressed protein, leading to poor performance in a variety of assay systems. Producing unmodified, intact proteins allows us to provide you with recombinant proteins that closely resemble the native forms.
No Disease-State Testing Required
Native human proteins are purified from materials that run the risk of carrying infectious disease agents. When testing is available at the donor level, FDA-cleared or CE-marked assays are used to confirm the absence of infectious disease. Many native proteins, however, are purified from tissues for which such FDA-/CE-cleared tests do not exist. In these instances, tissue extracts are sent to independent laboratories for nucleic acid testing to confirm the absence of DNA or RNA from infectious disease agents. Unfortunately, these tests are not FDA-/CE-cleared, which can present regulatory challenges for diagnostic test kit manufacturers.
Recombinant proteins are purified from cell culture or fermentation systems that are not human sourced and are not biohazardous. As such, recombinant proteins are exempt from the regulatory complications inherent with native proteins.
Stable Pricing
The costs associated with producing native human proteins are unpredictable and increase steadily every year. The critical tissues needed are becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to acquire. In addition, starting material quality has declined over the years, resulting in decreased production yields. These factors increase production costs, resulting in higher prices for native proteins. Conversely, the costs associated with starting materials for recombinant proteins are predictable. Cell culture and fermentation reagents are readily available and their prices are far less volatile than those for native tissues. This allows us to maximize batch sizes and produce recombinant proteins with stabilized, consistent pricing.
Renewable Starting Material
Recombinant proteins are not subject to the delays caused by interruptions in procuring native human starting materials. Native human proteins rely on the availability of starting materials from individual donors. Human tissues and fluids are not always available when needed, which can result in production delays. A recombinant cell line is grown and harvested as often as needed and is not dependent on collection centers or the availability of individual donors.
Short Production Lead-Times
Native starting materials often contain protein contaminants that are difficult to remove. Contaminants present potential end-use problems with the purified protein and they also lengthen the purification process. When such contaminants exist, purification can take as long as 5-6 months. In contrast, the purification process for recombinant proteins is much shorter and can be measured in weeks, rather than months.
Scalable Batch Sizes
Once a recombinant cell line is established, large volumes of starting material can be produced in a short, predictable period of time. This keeps protein purifications on-schedule and finished products in stock.
Steady Product Availability
Recombinant proteins are not subject to the delays inherent in native protein production. They are characterized by renewable starting material, short production lead-times, and batch-size scalability. This results in consistent product availability and assurance that your recombinant proteins are in stock and ready when you need them.
Scripps Laboratories is known worldwide for producing the highest-quality and best-performing proteins, native or recombinant. If you have tried recombinant proteins in the past, but found they didn’t perform as expected, our only comment is, you haven’t tried ours.
We invite you to try our recombinant proteins in your research or assay development projects.
Reach out to our technical support staff: Contact us.