Genetic engineering allows insertion and propagation of a foreign genetic element in a heterologous system in a variety of applications such as the creation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the field of agriculture or production of therapeutic proteins and antibodies in the field of healthcare. However, such genetic insertions often lack the required stability to be maintained for long duration and are either mutated or lost. Another significant issue concerning such insert is the unwanted horizontal transfer to other organisms in the environment. Regulatory bodies such as FDA and USDA require demonstration of the stability and/or prevention of the horizontal transfer of such inserts. This LLNL invention describes an innovative design of a genetic unit that increases the stability of the insert as well as prevents unwanted horizontal transfer or spread of the insert to other organisms.
Currently used approaches such as synthetic "gene entanglement" require complex bioinformatics, custom software, or model-based redesign of proteins with specific functions. As a result, that approach is inefficient and has a high failure rate. The approach described herein is sufficiently straightforward and robust to allow manual design of functional entangled protein pairs and is also amenable to automated software workflows that enable versatile design at scale.
- Stabilization of engineered DNA to improve bioproduction processes
- Biocontainment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to limit genetic pollution of the environment with engineered DNA
Current stage of technology development: TRL-2
LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.