High-Throughput Algorithmic Optimization of Transcription for SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Production.

The transcription (IVT) of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) from the linearized deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) template of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta variant (B.1.617.

Highly modular hepatitis B virus-like nanocarriers for therapeutic protein encapsulation and targeted delivery to triple negative breast cancer cells.

Protein therapeutics offer enormous clinical impact in treating a variety of diseases by offering high selectivity with limited off-target effects. However, delivery challenges severely hinder functional proteins from reaching their target cells and necessitate frequent administration. To address these problems, nanocarrier encapsulation can provide protease protection and enhanced targeted transportation of functional proteins to their intended disease site.

EGFR Ligand Clustering on E2 Bionanoparticles for Targeted Delivery of Chemotherapeutics to Breast Cancer Cells.

Naturally occurring protein nanocages are promising drug carriers because of their uniform size and biocompatibility. Engineering efforts have enhanced the delivery properties of nanocages, but cell specificity and high drug loading remain major challenges. Herein, we fused the SpyTag peptide to the surface of engineered E2 nanocages to enable tunable nanocage decoration and effective E2 cell targeting using a variety of SpyCatcher (SC) fusion proteins.

Engineering bionanoparticles for improved biosensing and bioimaging.

The importance of bioimaging and biosensing has been clear with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to viral detection, detection of tumors, glucose levels, and microbes is necessary for improved disease treatment and prevention. Bionanoparticles, such as extracellular vesicles and protein nanoparticles, are ideal platforms for biosensing and bioimaging applications because of their propensity for high density surface functionalization and large loading capacity.

Site-Specific Bioconjugation Approaches for Enhanced Delivery of Protein Therapeutics and Protein Drug Carriers.

Proteins have the capacity to treat a multitude of diseases both as therapeutics and as drug carriers due to their complex functional properties, specificity toward binding partners, biocompatibility, and programmability. Despite this, native proteins often require assistance to target diseased tissue due to poor pharmacokinetic properties and membrane impermeability. Functionalizing therapeutic proteins and drug carriers through direct conjugation of delivery moieties can enhance delivery capabilities.

Heterologous transporters from anaerobic fungi bolster fluoride tolerance in .

Membrane-embedded transporters are crucial for the stability and performance of microbial production strains. Apart from engineering known transporters derived from model systems, it is equally important to identify transporters from nonconventional organisms that confer advantageous traits for biotechnological applications. Here, we transferred genes encoding fluoride exporter (FEX) proteins from three strains of early-branching anaerobic fungi () to .