UNLOCK PICHIA® for maximized productivity
Our versatile UNLOCK PICHIA® platform offers the genetic diversity and expression tools needed to fine-tune protein production efficiently.
Our unique promoter library based on the highly utilized AOX1 promoter allows for fine-tuning of protein expression. This includes methanol-induced as well as methanol-free protein expression, with the latter surpassing the abilities of traditionally used constitutive promoters. With a broad range of promoter characteristics developed, we will find the right promoter for your protein.
Our suite of platform strains has been developed to enhance productivity and cell viability under a multitude of conditions. In addition, strains optimized for processes without methanol, and auxotrophic strains without antibiotic resistance markers (ARMs-free) allow us to find the right strain for your application.
Co-transformation of our expression-enhancing helper factors allows for targeted de-bottlenecking at every step of intracellular protein processing. Transcription factors, chaperones, membrane proteins, and more promote the secretory pathway to aid the passage of your target protein.
In addition to the industry standard α-mating factor (MF) secretion signal from S. cerevisiae, at VALIDOGEN we apply novel secretion signals and strategies to promote the passage of your protein from cell to supernatant. Our novel signals have been shown to repeatedly outperform the α-mating factor signal peptide for a variety of target proteins.
VALIDOGEN’s UNLOCK PICHIA® can be combined with Pichia GlycoSwitch® technology to generate unique expression strains for the production of glycoproteins with human-like glycosylation patterns. This unique combination of technologies acting synergistically leads to a high-performance platform for the production of recombinant glycoproteins with superior product yields and uniform Man5 or other human-like glycoforms.
Combinatorial evaluation of our UNLOCK PICHIA® tools is paired with a high-throughput screening system to quickly and reliably identify the highest-performing clones at microscale. As an intermediary step, microbioreactor cultivations can be performed to rapidly compare clones under more tightly controlled conditions. This can narrow down the number of promising clones and lead to final strain selection. A confirmation of strain performance is then conducted in larger bioreactors.
UNLOCK PICHIA® is VALIDOGEN’s proprietary platform, developed from decades of expertise in Pichia. It stands out because it combines a broad toolbox of genetic elements (promoters, secretion signals, co-expression factors, platform strains) with high-throughput screening and systematic optimization strategies. This enables rapid identification of top-performing strains tailored to each protein’s requirements.
Yes. UNLOCK PICHIA® includes methanol-free expression systems, eliminating the need for methanol induction. This makes it suitable for sensitive industries such as food & feed, and agriculture, or working at large scale, while maintaining high expression levels.
It stands out because it combines a broad toolbox of genetic elements (promoters, secretion signals, co-expression factors, platform strains) with high-throughput screening and systematic optimization strategies. This enables rapid identification of top-performing strains tailored to each protein’s requirements.
Yes. Through glyco-engineered strains, we can modify the glycosylation pattern of proteins expressed in Pichia pastoris, allowing production of proteins with human-like N-glycosylation, where potential immunogenicity of the product is a concern.
Optimization is achieved by systematically combining different promoters, secretion signals, helper factors, and strain backgrounds to generate genetic diversity. High-throughput screening then identifies strains with superior expression, secretion, and product quality, leading to significantly higher protein yields.
Genetic modifications are typically introduced via molecular cloning and targeted integration of expression cassettes designed to work efficiently in Pichia.
