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Processes and compositions to expand drug processing
Background
Dr. Robert O. Williams III and his team have developed a method to expand the ability of the hot-melt extrusion process to increase drug loading in amorphous solid dispersions (ASD). Dr. Williams is the Division Head and Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery and the Johnson & Johnson Centennial Chair in Pharmacy at UT...
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An RNA identification beacon based on Cas12a2
Background
The CRISPR-Cas systems are adaptive immune mechanisms found in prokaryotes, primarily bacteria and archaea, which protect against invading genetic elements such as phages and plasmids. These systems have been harnessed for various biotechnological applications, including genome editing and molecular diagnostics. Cas12a2, a particular variant...
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Engineered RNA polymerases and capping enzymes for the expression of 7‑methylguanylate capped RNA
Background
Dr. Andrew Ellington and his team have identified and engineered a novel group II intron reverse transcriptase, RT-12. Dr. Ellington is a Professor in Molecular Biosciences, the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Regents Chair in Molecular Biology, and holds the Wilson M. and Kathryn Fraser Research Professorship in Biochemistry at UT Austin. His...
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Low-cost rapid diagnosis of viral diseases
Background/problem
Detection of infectious diseases relies on amplification techniques of genetic material such as RNA or DNA. State-of-the-art amplification techniques include RT-PCR and RT-LAMP, both of which use a reverse transcriptase (RT) to amplify RNA. Usually, an RNA strand is reverse transcribed into complementary DNA (cDNA), which is...
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Innovative modularization of One Pot PURE system for commercial unnatural amino acid incorporation
Background
The integration of non-canonical amino acids into proteins holds immense promise for various industries, from biomedicine to biotechnology. However, traditional methods face challenges like high costs and batch variability. The One Pot PURE system, a streamlined version of cell-free protein synthesis, addresses these issues, offering precise...
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Thermostable reverse transcriptase based on a thermostable DNA polymerase
Background
Reverse transcriptase enzymes are pivotal in molecular biology for transcribing RNA into DNA, facilitating studies from gene expression analysis to viral detection. The reliability and efficiency of reverse transcription are crucial for accurate cDNA formation, a foundational step necessary for subsequent applications such as cloning and...
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SuperFi high-fidelity Cas9 enzyme eliminates off‑target CRISPR cleavage
Background
The widespread use of CRISPR/Cas9 as a programmable genome editing tool has encountered hurdles, due to concerns about potential off‑target DNA cleavage by Cas9. While the analysis of off-target editing events has led to the development of Cas9 variants with greater sensitivity to mismatches, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which...
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Plastic-degrading enzymes
Able to break down PET plastics in as little as 24 hours
Overview
Plastic waste poses an ecological challenge. There have been 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics produced—6 billion tons are waste. What do we do with this waste?
The long-term, sustainable solution is to find effective ways to break down the plastic into smaller parts and then...
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Engineered methyltransferase for microbial production of the Alzheimer’s drug galantamine
Problem
Galantamine is a cholinesterase-inhibiting compound used for the treatment of cognitive decline in mild to moderate cases of Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairment disorders. Galantamine is a plant alkaloid found in the bulbs and flowers of several species including daffodils, snowdrops, and red spider lilies. Galantamine...
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An engineered methyltransferase enzyme for improved production of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids
Background
Tetrahydropapaverine (THP) and papaverine are naturally occurring plant alkaloids that are commercially important. THP is a precursor of the drugs atracurium and cisatracurium, used as muscle relaxants. Papaverine is used as an antispasmodic. These clinically useful molecules may be synthesized using traditional organic synthesis methods...
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