Advancing Protein Prototyping Through Rapid and Efficient Systems

Conventional protein production methods typically involve iterative cycles of multiple steps, such as cell culturing, protein extraction and purification (which can take weeks or even months. Using Nuclera’s screen achieves the acquisition of high-value proteins to power your discovery.

The eProtein Discovery system accelerates protein expression and purification workflows within research labs, allowing for rapid, on-demand protein synthesis. Nuclera’s system turns linear DNA into purified soluble and active proteins in 48 hours while simultaneously analyzing constructs and expression conditions to find the winners for scale-up.

To our knowledge, we are one of the first to develop a high-throughput protein construct screening platform. This has allowed us to overcome the problems that scientists have with traditional protein expression (e.g., Escherichia coli), and it has also cut the timeline from several months to 48 hours, which is crucial for project funding and efficiency.

The system uses cell-free transcription and translation processes, which are less complicated than cell culturing for eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Thus, less expertise is required to use the cell-free system.

Finally, there is the environmental impact. Usually, the amount of plastic that is used per protein produced is astronomical, but this system produces less waste and uses less plastic compared to other protein prototyping methods. 

Nuclera’s eProtein Discovery system tackles some of the most persistent challenges in protein production, such as issues with protein toxicity, solubility and purification, by integrating advanced microfluidic technology and an efficient cell-free expression system. eProtein Discovery bypasses cell-based protein expression modalities (used in bacteria or mammalian cells), overcoming difficulties such as expressing proteins that are toxic to live cells.

In traditional methods, proteins expressed in host cells can misfold or aggregate, making them insoluble and harder to work with. Nuclera’s cell-free system provides a controlled environment with optimized constructs for soluble protein expression, which improves the solubility of many proteins that are challenging to produce in cellular systems.

Furthermore, the system is designed for rapid prototyping, enabling researchers to produce and test multiple variants quickly. This capability allows scientists to screen for soluble variants early in the process, identifying more viable protein candidates and reducing the trial-and-error work typically required in traditional workflows.

Our “fail fast, succeed faster” approach is a powerful strategy that accelerates research and development (R&D) timelines by enabling scientists to test and optimize protein prototypes quickly. In traditional R&D, lengthy protein production steps can significantly delay progress, but Nuclera’s system transforms this process, providing reproducible results in protein expression, purifiability and yield within 48 hours.

The eProtein Discovery system produces properly folded, functional proteins in a matter of hours, allowing scientists to evaluate a protein’s solubility, stability and biological activity quickly. This rapid feedback lets researchers identify variants early, saving valuable time and resources. By streamlining the process of protein testing and enabling rapid iteration, Nuclera’s “fail fast, succeed faster” approach helps researchers make faster progress, accelerate decision-making and increase their chances of success. This ultimately shortens the path from concept to functional protein and reduces the time to potential breakthroughs in research and drug development.

Many therapeutic proteins are challenging to produce in conventional systems due to issues like poor solubility or improper folding. Nuclera’s system enhances the solubility and stability of “difficult-to-express” proteins as well as non-canonical proteins, increasing the success rate of generating viable protein candidates. The technology is particularly suited for applications in disease research that rely on the availability of specific proteins, utilized within the fields of oncology, immunology/vaccine development and neurodegenerative diseases.

By providing easy and rapid access to challenging-to-produce proteins, Nuclera’s technology supports the study of these diseases at a molecular level, enabling the discovery of new therapeutic targets and the development of precision medicines.

Nuclera has partnered with Domainex, a multi-award-winning contract research organization (CRO) specializing in integrated pre-clinical drug discovery services. Domainex is the first CRO to adopt the eProtein Discovery system, allowing it to provide protein production services using this innovative technology.

Through this collaboration, more researchers will gain access to eProtein Discovery, furthering Nuclera’s mission to improve human health by accelerating drug discovery through easy and fast protein production. This partnership also offers an alternative pathway for companies that may not yet be ready to invest in the instrument, granting them access to the technology.

Nuclera also acquired the E Ink company’s microfluidics technology, which is the foundation of the Nuclera cartridge.