Technology

Protelica’s rational approach provides unique advantages to rapidly discover desired mutant proteins. Our protein mutagenesis platform encompasses three patented technologies: Look Through Mutagenesis™ (LTM), Walk Through Mutagenesis™ (WTM) and Combinatorial Beneficial Mutagenesis™ (CBM).

At the outset, LTM and WTM are used to generate chemistry-based libraries that have sufficient diversity for initial hits, while maintaining manageable size for screening. We then use CBM to create combinatorial libraries rationally designed around the initial hits identified by LTM and WTM.

Our technologies are based on advanced DNA synthesis methodologies. The oligonucleotides are uniquely designed to execute codon-by-codon modification, and to introduce a selected amino acid in each position of a target protein region.

Protein variants are created by directed and systematic introduction of substitution(s) with amino acids rationally selected based on their chemical functionalities. As a result, diversity generated by our technologies is meaningful, thereby minimizing the number of “non-informative” mutants in the library.

At our predecessor company BioRen, the capabilities of our mutagenesis technologies were well demonstrated by improving binding performance of a current antibody drug. This previously optimized antibody with sub-nanomolar affinity was further improved by approximately 1,000-fold in only four months. This robust proof-of-concept provided the basis for the acquisition in 2005 of BioRen by Pfizer.