While cell-free protein expression done today enables protein chemists to quickly produce small amounts of   proteins when screening DNA libraries, there is a need for higher protein expression yields. The higher production efficiencies gained by ALiCE will make it possible for bio-pharmaceutical researchers to detect a significantly higher number of candidates from each DNA library screened, eventually leading to a higher number of viable candidates for development. ALiCE also offers the option to produce larger quantities of proteins.

This innovative cell-free protein expression system was developed by Dow AgroSciences in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME under a long-standing strategic alliance. This technology has been used successfully in agricultural research.

“Today’s protein research demands speed and robust technology. Our cell-free approach enables high-quantity protein to be produced and validated in days instead of weeks. Dow AgroSciences, together with our partner Fraunhofer IME,are committed to making the technology accessible to the bio-pharmaceutical market, and this license to LenioBio is key to the development and commercialization of this technology,” said Steven Webb, Ph.D., external technology leader, Dow AgroSciences.

“ALiCE is superior in terms of protein yield to other cell-free expression systems currently on the market, which makes it ideal for the discovery of new protein drugs. We want to enable bio-pharmaceutical developers and other protein chemists to take full advantage of this system, which has established a solid record of accomplishment with Dow AgroSciences,” said Remberto Martis, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of LenioBio.

LenioBio will launch the ALiCE platform this year initially as an expression kit that yields much higher amounts of proteins on average than other cell-free protein expression kits. Going forward,the company also will launch a unique protein production toolbox for bio-pharmaceutical developers to fine-tune and produce their protein candidates for pre-clinical and clinical trials in-house.