The influence of resin structure on the chromatographic process of recombinant pneumococcal proteins.

• Grant number: 24/11141-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Viviane Maimoni Gonçalves
• Grantee: Isabelle Godoy Leme
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Recombinant proteins from Streptococcus pneumoniae have been evaluated as novel serotype-independent vaccines to overcome the limitations of current conjugate vaccines, which provide protection limited to the polysaccharide serotypes included in the formulations, typically covering only 20 out of >100 known serotypes. Recombinant pneumococcal proteins were produced in Escherichia coli and downstream processing (DSP) was developed. DSP steps are challenging and costly, thus maximizing yield and purity has been a constant focus of research in the field. New preparative liquid chromatography resins could offer solutions for DSP optimization but need to be evaluated case by case. Given the rapid innovation in preparative liquid chromatography in the biopharmaceutical industry, this project aims to evaluate Capto, Praesto, and Fractogel resins compared to the traditional Sepharose for purifying recombinant pneumococcal proteins: PdT (theoretical pI 5.18) and MEV2 (theoretical pI 9.2) by anion exchange and cation exchange chromatography, respectively. Thus, the project seeks to identify factors related to the target molecule and resin that contribute to proper chromatographic separation leading to high recovery and purity. Thisproject could not only enhance purification processes for new pneumococcal vaccine antigens, but also advance the understanding of resin impact on chromatographic efficiency, generating knowledge applicable to other biomolecules of biopharmaceutical interest.