Technology. Phage display assay for determination of protease substrate specificity, including panning of >10M phage display library with random hexamer protease target region. DNA sequence determination, kinetic assay of preferred phage candidates, synthesis of optimized target substrates and evaluation of fluorescent versions.

Potential Industry Applications. Screening of cell extracts and supernatant solutions for protease content regardless of source or purity. Ideal approach for establishing substrate preference of any uncharacterized protease.

Advantages of APD Life Science’s Approach. Other approaches require chemical synthesis of candidate substrates, followed by assay of each-and-every candidate. This screening approach covers all possible candidates in panning experiments, followed by evaluation of each under conditions chosen by end user.

Service Status. Procedures are currently "up-and-running", with data from model systems [thermolysin and V-8 protease] available for review.

Who is APD Life Science? A successor to BioPore, Inc., and formed in 2003 by Roy H. Hammerstedt, PhD, an Emeritus Professor at Penn State University with 40 years of experience in chemistry/physiology. Poised to license four technologies to end users on behalf of BioPore and/or APD Life Sciences. Developed and completed two NIH Phase-II SBIR grants [detection of bacteria in platelet containers, and cryostorage of cells and tissues].

APD Life Science’s Business Model. After in-house development and validation, license of protocols for large scale applications is recommended. Provision of application-specific consulting on an "as requested" basis. See the APD Life Science standard sub-licensing term sheet for key features to be negotiated.

To see flow diagram of approach, click here.

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