Applications of recombinant proteins

Protein is an important component of all organisms. Each protein molecule consists of one or more polypeptide chains made of amino acids. There are 20 naturally occurring amino acids. Different series of amino acids are linked together by peptide bonds to form protein chains. Each protein has a unique sequence of amino acids.

All the functions of proteins are dependent on their structures. Although information necessary for life is encoded by DNA or RNA, proteins perform a wide range of biological functions within organisms, including enzyme catalysis, defense, transport, support, motion, and regulation.

According to their functions in the body, proteins can be divided into different categories, such as antibodies, enzymes, cytokines, hormones, signaling peptides that transmit information into cells (messenger), structural component, and transport/storage proteins. Given the important functions of proteins, proteins have been studied intensively and applied widely.

In the past, the major way to obtain a specific protein was to isolate it from a natural source, which is generally inefficient and time-consuming. Recent advances in recombinant molecule biological techniques have made it possible to clone the DNA encoding a specific protein into an expression vector and express the protein in expression systems, such as bacteria, yeast, insect cells, and mammalian cells.

Simply put, recombinant proteins are translated products of exogenous DNA in living cells. The production of recombinant proteins generally contains two major steps: molecule cloning and protein expression. Currently, recombinant protein production is one of the most powerful techniques used in life sciences. Recombinant proteins have wide applications in medicine, research, and biotechnology, etc.

1. Medicine

2. Research

3. Biotechnology

4. The Latest Researches of Recombinant Proteins

Recombinant proteins and diseases

Recombinant proteins and vaccines