Recombinant protein

How it is used

Used in research, enzyme production and the biopharmaceutical industry. Insulin, growth hormone and some vaccines are recombinant proteins. Researchers express, purify and characterize them, often with a tag such as a His-tag for purification. Typical hosts are E. coli, yeast and CHO cells.

Example sentences

1. We expressed the recombinant protein in E. coli and purified it on a nickel column.

2. Human insulin was one of the first recombinant proteins approved as a medicine.

Common collocations

• express a recombinant protein
• purify a recombinant protein
• recombinant protein production
• recombinant human insulin

Related terms

• plasmidA small, circular piece of DNA found naturally in bacteria and used in the lab as a tool to carry and copy genes inside cells.
• vectorA DNA molecule, such as a plasmid or a modified virus, used to carry a gene into a cell, where it can be copied or expressed.
• bioreactorA vessel in which cells or microorganisms are grown under carefully controlled conditions, such as temperature, pH, oxygen and mixing, to make a product.
• fermentationIn biotechnology, growing large numbers of microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast in tanks to make products like enzymes, insulin, antibiotics or biofuels.
• monoclonal antibodyAn antibody made by identical immune cells, all clones of one parent cell, so that it binds to exactly one target. Many modern drugs and lab reagents are monoclonal antibodies.

More terms: Biotech Products and Bioprocessing

• biotechnology
• gene therapy
• stem cell
• biosimilar