Recombinant proteins are important resources in several stages of drug discovery as well as many other types of research. The amounts of pure protein required span from a few micrograms for immunisations to hundreds of milligrams or even grams for activity evaluations and structure determinations. Here a highly scalable process for protein production in CHO cells that generates robust product quality and high performance throughout scales is presented...Read more

This week we turn the spotlight to the protein α-actinin-3. Encoded by ACTN3, sometimes dubbed the speed gene, α -actinin-3 is primarily expressed in type 2 "fast-twitch" skeletal muscle fibers. It cross-links and stabilizes actin thin filaments at the Z-line separating each muscle unit and is fundamental for producing the quick and powerful muscle contractions needed for activities like sprinting, jumping, and weightlifting (North, 1999)...Read more