[SCAN] Plant biofactories for the production of recombinant proteins

SCAN

Title: Plant biofactories for the production of recombinant proteins

Speaker: Rita Abranches

Affiliation: Plant Cell Biology Lab

Abstract:

Plant-based platforms for the production of biopharmaceuticals and other valuable compounds are cost-effective alternatives to conventional systems. The first plant made biopharmaceutical for human application reached the market in 2012 but many challenges remain regarding the relatively low yields obtained in plant systems. I will present the plant model systems that we have been using in the lab, as well as different strategies that we are employing to increase the levels of recombinant products. These strategies include epigenetic modulation of transgene expression in plant cell suspension cultures or the engineering of protease depleted cell lines. I will also present other related lines of research that are ongoing in the lab, such as the study of chromatin-mediated regulation of gene expression, characterization of transgene integration sites, and studies on plant-microbe interactions.