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Protein Technologies pioneers world’s first ice crystal biosensor

Manchster Science Park based Protein Technologies Ltd (PTL), a specialist fluorescent protein development company, has produced the world’s first ice crystal biosensor, CryoRed, which indicates whether damage to items such as vaccines or organs has taken place due to ice crystal formation.

In the cold chain supply networks, freeze sensitive labels and electronic time-temperature indicators are the norm. This is not a perfect solution as it is not the freezing event which causes damage to whatever is being transported, but the rate of freezing and the size of the ice crystals formed.

The slower the rate of freezing, the larger the size of the ice crystals and the greater the chance of product spoilage. Products could be vaccines, organs, antibodies or other biopharmaceutical items.
CryoRed is a fluorescent protein engineered to be hypersensitive to the formation of large ice crystals. It is a small dot that is usually bright red but when exposed to slow freezing conditions, in which large ice crystals are formed, it is irreversibly denatured and turns an opaque white.

Produced in small blister packs, it can be attached to individual products. It is cost effective because it is produced by fermentation and manufactured in bulk.
PTL has filed a comprehensive patent and is currently seeing licensees in the packaging and reagent industries, with a view to bringing the product to market within the next 8-12 months.

Chief scientific officer, Dr.Farid Khan, said: “In 2006, when a shipment of almost 20,000 flu vaccines was mistakenly frozen, Novartis elected to destroy the entire batch of 5000,000 doses rather than risk the chance of a single patient suffering an immunogenic response.

“CryoRed eliminates the needs for such huge waste. The versatility of formulation and low cost of manufacture means the potential applications  are manifold and, as requirements for patient safety are becoming ever more stringent, we are ahead of the curve in pioneering individual product labelling.

“The ability to differentiate between different types of freezing events has not been possible before. Now, because of our product, it is.”

Ends.

www.protein-technologies.com

Protein Technologies Ltd (PTL) is a biotechnology company which develops innovative solutions in the areas of protein and cell sciences. In addition, PTL is a supplier of contract research services to the Life Sciences and has in-house programs in cryopreservation, biofuels research, diagnostics, and bioreactor technologies. 

PTL has filed four patents:

• A telemedicine/point of care diagnostics system that operates with commercially available mobile phones
• A process for the very large scale bioprocessing of algae and other cellular matter (100,000+ litres per day)
• An infra red protein for use in the imaging of disease and photodynamic therapy
• The world’s first ice-crystal biosensor: a unique product which can differentiate between freezing events which do or not damage biological drugs and samples.

The company has been awarded two Bill and Melinda Gates Awards and funding from the Technology Strategy Board.