Nuclera Boosts eProtein Discovery for Membrane Protein Production
Nuclera, a biotechnology company revolutionizing protein expression and optimization, has announced a major enhancement to its eProtein Discovery™ system: a new workflow designed specifically for membrane protein production. This added functionality allows researchers to express, purify, and stabilize difficult-to-work-with membrane proteins—key players in many therapeutic development programs.
The new workflow leverages Nuclera’s integrated approach, combining cell-free protein synthesis, digital microfluidics, and additive screening to produce correctly folded, functional membrane proteins in as little as 48 hours. By addressing long-standing technical hurdles, the system now opens new possibilities for scientists in drug discovery and structural biology.
A Crucial Class of Drug Targets
Membrane proteins are central to numerous biological processes, acting as gatekeepers, transporters, and signal transducers within cells. Their relevance in medicine is immense—about 60% of all FDA-approved drugs target membrane proteins. However, working with them has remained a persistent challenge in the lab.
The structural complexity and hydrophobic nature of membrane proteins make them notoriously difficult to express and stabilize outside of their native environment. Traditional expression systems often result in misfolded or inactive proteins, severely limiting research and development efforts.
With the launch of this new membrane protein workflow, Nuclera aims to remove these barriers and empower scientists to generate high-quality proteins rapidly and efficiently.
Fast, Functional Protein Production
To demonstrate the power of the new workflow, Nuclera successfully synthesized two notoriously difficult membrane proteins: MsbA, a membrane transporter, and ZMPSTE24, an integral membrane protein involved in processing prelamin A.
Using eProtein Discovery, researchers were able to screen different expression and purification conditions in just 24 hours. This included testing various combinations of nanodiscs, lipids, and detergents to determine optimal solubilization and stabilization strategies.
Within 48 hours, both MsbA and ZMPSTE24 were successfully produced at scale. Not only were the proteins stable and soluble, but they were also functionally active and suitable for downstream applications, including cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), a gold standard for structural analysis.
The process’s speed and efficiency are a game-changer for many labs that previously struggled to obtain usable membrane proteins.
Seamless Integration for Existing Users
For those already using eProtein Discovery, accessing the new membrane protein capability is simple. The feature is available through a software update, enabling researchers to expand their experimental capabilities without needing new hardware or extensive retraining.
This update exemplifies Nuclera’s commitment to continuous innovation and support for its growing user base across academia and industry.
Expert Endorsements
Dr. Toby Ost, Senior Vice President of Product Development at Nuclera, highlighted the significance of this development:
“Membrane protein production has long been a technical bottleneck, often leading to misfolded or inactive products. With our updated eProtein Discovery system, researchers can now rapidly generate functional membrane proteins, removing key roadblocks in drug discovery and structural biology workflows.”
The platform has already attracted attention from the academic research community. Dr. Konstantinos Beis, a Reader in Membrane Protein Structural Biology at Imperial College London, shared his thoughts on the technology’s promise:
“The eProtein Discovery system is a welcome addition to the membrane protein toolkit. We were commissioned via Imperial Consultants to assess the quality of proteins produced by the system in our lab, and the early results are promising.”
Unlocking New Possibilities in Therapeutics and Research
By overcoming a critical technical challenge in protein science, Nuclera’s new membrane protein workflow represents a leap forward for researchers working on drug targets, biologics, and fundamental biological questions. The ability to rapidly express and stabilize these complex proteins could accelerate the development of new therapies and enable deeper insights into disease mechanisms.
As drug development becomes more personalized and precision-driven, tools like eProtein Discovery are poised to play a central role. By streamlining protein expression and analysis, Nuclera is helping scientists turn ambitious research goals into reality—faster than ever before.
