REA – Redox enzymes from algae

Project description:

The goal of “REA” is to develop a marketable algal-based marker enzyme that is superior to previous solutions. The project is based on innovative approaches to extraction, enrichment, characterization, recombinant expression,bioinformatic analysis, and chemical / genetic coupling to antibodies. The scientific and technical objectives are:

• Establish a transcriptome database of selected algae
• Establish a protein and a cDNA repository (biotech toolbox) focusing on redox proteins with potential for industrial applications from a set of selected and not yet studied marine species
• Cloning and recombinant expression of promising redox proteins and genetic engineering of a successful candidate for further development (especially as antibody markers)
• Genetic fusion of recombinant microperoxidases with recombinant antibodies (antibody fusion proteins) for immunoassay development, western blotting, or diagnostics.

CRM’s tasks:

CRM participates in this project with comprehensive bioinformatic analyses of transcriptome sequences as well as with the construction of a transcriptome database and a protein repository. CRM is also responsible for supplying the project partners with native algae and their RNA. Furthermore, CRM is responsible for the project management as well as the preparations for the commercial exploitation of the project results. This coordination task aligns customer needs with the “characteristics” of the algal proteins at the genome and proteome level and vice versa.

Project staff:

• Dr. Yu-Chen, project leader, database establishment
• Dr. Ehrhard Sioli, algae sourcing and extraction
• Dr. Steffen Hennig, bioinformatics
• Timo Jensen, RNA extraction and protein expression
• Dominik Bents, bioinformatics
• Dr. Levent Piker, commercial exploitation, project supervision

Funding by: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Period: February 2020 to January 2023

Project partners:

• Bremen University of Applied Sciences
• University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein