New Kent spin-out aims to cut cost of producing proteins for cancer care and diagnostics

A new University of Kent spin-out has been launched to commercialise biotechnology that could make it cheaper and easier to produce proteins used in cancer treatments, vaccines and diagnostics tests.

Sirius Proteins was registered this month, taking technology developed and patented at Kent a step closer to wider commercial use.

The company will use Vesicle Nucleating Peptide (VNp) technology developed by Professor Dan Mulvhill and his team in the School of Natural Sciences at Kent, which offers a simpler way of producing proteins that can otherwise be difficult or expensive to make.

Many medicines and diagnostic tests rely on recombinant proteins made by genetically modified bacteria. But some proteins are difficult and expensive to produce because they are unstable, toxic to the bacteria making them, or need to fold in a particular way to work properly.

VNp works by getting bacterial cells to 'package' the proteins into tiny membrane-bound vesicles and move them outside the cell. This vastly increases the amount produced while making the proteins easier to collect and purify.

Professor Mulvhill, Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at Kent, said:

"This is a really exciting step for us. What started as a biological observation in the lab has developed into something with real commercial potential.

"The aim now is to make protein production much cheaper and simpler. That could make a real difference to researchers who currently find some proteins too difficult or expensive to produce, as well as companies developing new drugs and diagnostics.

"Ultimately, we are democratising protein production - making it easier and more affordable for people to do this work."

The launch of Sirius Proteins comes as new research by Kent scientists and the Lasers for Science (LFS) Central Laser Facility, operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, has shown that VNp could have even wider applications than previously thought.

The study was led by Dr Bree Streather, then a PhD student at Kent, which is now part of the London and South East University Group (LASE) , working with Professor Stanley Botchway and Professor Lin Wang at the LFS Central Laser Facility.

Using world-leading advanced imaging techniques developed at the OCTOPUS Lasers for Science Facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire, the team compared naturally occurring vesicles with those produced by the VNp-engineered bacteria.

Their findings, published in high-impact-factor Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, showed that the engineered vesicles could be controlled in ways that open up possibilities including protein engineering, targeted drug delivery and future therapeutic development.

Dr Streather said: 'This is particularly useful for producing insoluble proteins, such as insulin, which would otherwise clump together in the cell, or proteins that are toxic to bacteria which would destroy the cell before we could isolate them.

"By getting these proteins safely outside the cell, the vesicles can make them much easier to produce and collect. There is also the potential to use them to deliver proteins directly to where they are needed.

"Making the whole process simpler and more efficient could help speed up drug production, and in the longer term, contribute to making medicines more affordable."

Professor Mulvhill added: "Our work with the LFS Central Laser Facility has been really important in showing just how versatile VNp can be. We've been able to demonstrate its potential in protein engineering, drug discovery and the production of functional monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic applications.

"The latest work takes that a step further by showing we can control the composition and functionality of the vesicles themselves. It gives us confidence in the potential of the technology as we move into this next stage with Sirius Proteins.

Professor Stan Botchway from the LFS Central Laser Facility said:

"This is an excellent example of how the advanced microscopy available at a world-leading national facility can support fundamental research while also helping a new spin-out company develop its products.

"We're playing a significant role in taking extracellular vesicles from biological discovery through bioengineering and towards industrial protein production and clinical applications. It has been a really enjoyable project to work on and I look forward to continuing to support the team and Sirius Proteins as they grow."

The full paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/jev2.70354