Artificial Golgi reactor

Many protein drugs have sugar molecules attached which affect their function and longevity in the body. 

The biological process for sugar attachment to the glycoproteins does not have a strict template—rather it is controlled by the availability of enzymes and substrates.  Therefore, most commercial glycoproteins are a mixture of structures with varying properties. 

This project seeks to take the process of glycoprotein production outside the cell where we can exert more control over it. 

Using a series of enzyme reactions in vitro and model-based design of a specialised bioreactor, we are developing an artificial Golgi reactor that can make homogeneous glycoproteins tailored to any desired sugar structure.