Non-Animal Collagen Expression in Plants, Fungi, and Bacteria
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a global demand for animal protein, particularly collagen, which is constrained by ethical and economic concerns related to slaughtering animals, and animal-derived collagens often contain undesirable materials like xenobiotics and high caloric ingredients.
Innovation Solution
Collagens naturally occurring extracellularly in animal species are expressed in non-animal organisms such as plants, fungi, and bacteria, providing a source of collagen without the need for animal slaughter, allowing for posttranslational modifications and various forms of expression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If collagen is obtained from slaughtered animals, then high quality collagen is produced, but ethical concerns and economic constraints arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by using genetic engineering to transfer animal collagen genes into non-animal organisms (plants, fungi, bacteria). These host organisms then produce collagen that is identical or highly similar to the original animal collagen, eliminating the need for animal slaughter while maintaining product quality and purity.
2Quantity of substance
If collagen is obtained from slaughtered animals, then sufficient quantity is produced, but undesirable materials such as xenobiotics and hormones are present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by isolating and transferring only the specific collagen gene sequences from animals into non-animal host organisms. This selective extraction ensures that only the desired collagen protein is produced without co-producing other animal-derived substances such as xenobiotics, hormones, or other contaminants that would be present in traditional animal-derived collagen.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If non-animal organisms are used for collagen expression, then ethical concerns are addressed and purity is improved, but production efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing various expression parameters in non-animal host organisms, including selecting appropriate promoters, optimizing culture conditions, choosing suitable host strains, and modifying gene sequences for better expression. These parameter optimizations enable high-level collagen production in plant, fungal, and bacterial systems while maintaining the purity advantages of non-animal sources.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a non-animal organism expressing a collagen. A non-animal organism expressing a collagen that naturally occurs extracellularly in one or more animal species. Furthermore, the invention refers to methods for preparing such collagen and for preparing a comestible nutrient product comprising such collagen. Furthermore, the invention relates to a comestible nutrient product comprising such collagen obtained from a method of the present invention.