Recombinant Protein Production Engineering

Within the field of biotechnology, the production of recombinant proteins in various prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems represents a mature and attractive technological field with strong employment prospects. It is also a very important area of research in which many challenges remain to be addressed. The bioproduction of biopharmaceuticals (recombinant proteins as well as monoclonal antibodies) is a major issue not only in human therapeutics but also in numerous fields of biotechnology (environmental, industrial, agricultural, marine, etc.). Before designing any biological drug that involves a bioproduction step, it is essential to understand the various eukaryotic and prokaryotic expression systems used in biotechnology, as well as to have a comprehensive overview of the landscape and challenges of bioproduction in France, Europe, and around the world.

This course unit consists of interactive lectures. It is taught by various faculty members and industry professionals working in the field.

The objective of this course unit is to provide students with skills in the following areas:

-the market and challenges facing bioproduction in Europe and around the world

-in-depth knowledge of the various prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems and their optimization, including:

-Protein production in prokaryotic cells (optimization, large-scale production, examples of research and development)

-production in yeast cells, particularly Pichia pastoris

-production using a baculovirus system and insect cells

-production in transgenic plants-production in mammalian cells-production and purification of membrane proteins.

The EU program will keep pace with technological developments in the field and may therefore evolve depending on the stakeholders involved.

A thorough understanding of cell biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry is required.

Recommended prerequisites:

Additional information:

A one-week intensive practical component, conducted as a project directly related to this course unit, is planned for students in the M2 Biology-Agroscience / IBION-Tec program and for students in the M2 Biology-Health / IBIS program as part of the course unit “Multidisciplinary Lab Project 1: From Gene to Protein, Strain Construction & Lab-Scale Production” (Course Unit HAV916V).

Assessment will take place during a final written exam.