N. benthamiana-based VLP Production Service

N. benthamiana-based VLP Production Service

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are nanoscale structures composed of assembled viral proteins that lack viral genetic material and are therefore not infectious. CD BioSciences offers VLPlant^TM, a plant-based recombinant expression system for constructing VLPs, which offers many advantages over traditional mammalian, yeast, insect, and bacterial expression systems.

CD BioSciences is a leading global company with advanced equipment and experienced staff dedicated to helping our global customers build VLPs from Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana) plant to help you develop vaccines, nanomaterials and diagnostic reagents.

Overview of N. benthamiana

N. benthamiana, commonly known as benth or benthi, is a close relative of tobacco. N. benthamiana has cysteine proteases which are involved in many processes such as protein pre-processing, programmed cell death and protein turnover. Due to the large number of plant pathogens that can infect it, N. benthamiana is used as a model organism in plant research and is widely used in the field of plant virology.

N. benthamiana in VLP Vaccine

Thanks to the development of plant (Agrobacterium) transient expression systems, N. benthamiana has demonstrated unprecedented speed and productivity in the production of VLPs. The range of targets for therapeutics produced by N. benthamiana is enormous. These include therapies - mainly vaccines - for influenza virus, Ebola, dengue, norovirus, HIV, HAV, HBV, HCV, COVID-19, plague, bluetongue virus, rabies and cholera.

Transient expression in N. benthamiana. (James R, et al., 2018)

Our Services

CD BioSciences offers services covering all experiments related to the construction of VLPs through N. benthamiana, including the construction of vectors containing the target gene, plant transient expression systems (Agrobacterium) and harvesting of N. benthamiana plants containing VLPs, as well as VLP-Purification.

Workflow of Our Service

Construction of N. benthamiana Expression Vectors

It all starts with screening for the target gene or viral code and then using our technology to synthesize genetic instructions that the plant can 'read'. The synthesized target gene is inserted into a bacterium, which then carries the information into N. benthamiana plant cell.

Plant Transient Expression System

Transient expression mediated by Agrobacterium allows for faster and more efficient production of VLPs by the plant. The plant expression vector is transformed into the rooting Agrobacterium and the Agrobacterium then infiltrates into the N. benthamiana plant. N. benthamiana plants are placed in carefully controlled greenhouses to rapidly produce VLPs in large quantities.

Harvest Plants Containing VLPs

Once the plants have finished growing, we harvest the plants and mix the leaves with a solution to extract VLPs. VLPs do not contain genetic material, so they are not infectious. Additionally, plants carry a very low risk of introducing foreign human pathogens.

Purification of VLPs

Our purification services for VLPs constructed from plant platforms include PEG precipitation, ultracentrifugation techniques, and affinity chromatography, to name a few. See the VLP-Purification page for details.

Process of Our Service

We have experienced scientists, technicians and advanced equipment to provide our global customers with a fast, and high-quality service at competitive prices. If you are interested in our services, please contact us for more details, and we will respond promptly.

Reference

1. James R,; Anne O. Engineering terpenoid production through transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. Plant Cell Rep. 2018, 37:1431-1441.