Strathclyde: Clearing the way for fungal biocultures

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Researchers at the University of Strathclyde in the UK believe they have overcome one of the main obstacles to manufacturing biopharmaceuticals in fungal cultures, avoiding the generation of by-products which can contaminate the desired drug.

The researchers worked with the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger. “Our version makes a lysozyme, an important cell defence component which kills invading bacteria,” said Qiang Li, from the university. “Although the fungus will helpfully make the proteins we want in economic quantities, it also makes unwanted by-products such as protein digesting enzymes which can damage or contaminate the valuable medicines we need.”

Members of the Aspergillus family, of which over 180 are known, often grow in damp, carbon- and oxygen-rich conditions, such as on the surface of compost heaps, or on slices of bread. The scientists have discovered that by providing plenty of carbon to feed the fungus, and lowering the temperature it is possible to minimize, or even prevent, the generation of unwanted by-products.

In addition, the Scottish team discovered that Aspergillus niger can be encouraged to make more lysozyme by oxygenating the growing culture, which speeds up the fungi’s metabolism, and hence drug production times.