ORF Genetics' production technology is based on bioengineering the barley plant (Hordeum vulgare) to produce recombinant proteins, such as growth factors, in the endosperm compartment of the seed, using the seed as a bioreactor. Barley is an excellent plant for large-scale production of bioactive recombinant proteins:
Protein Producer: The barley seed is a strong protein producer, with protein machinery that can be used for producing recombinant proteins at high yield.
Protein Storage: By nature, the barley seed provides a long-term, safe storage for proteins, including recombinant proteins, making stockpiling and protein production logistics both easy and economical.
Scalability: Through easy and very economical sowing, cultivation, and harvesting techniques, the recombinant protein can be scaled up with tremendous speed and economy, and without CAPEX-demanding operation, such as in production depending on bioreactors.
Biological Containment: The barley plant has a self-pollinating flower with limiting gene dispersal between plants, securing genetic containment in cultivation.
G.R.A.S.: The barley plant is an important food plant that is generally recognized as a safe plant to consume. It does not contain potentially harmful ingredients such as secondary metabolites or mammalian-derived pathogens.
Agricultural Plasticity: Unlike rice, corn or soybean, the barley plant has a tremendous adaptability in cultivation. The plant is capable of growing under variable conditions, such as in a challenging climate and difficult soil. The plants' adaptability and robustness limit competition for land used for food production, as cultivation is made possible at otherwise challenging cultivation sites around the world.
Endotoxin-Free: The recombinant protein production in the barley seed bypasses concerns for bacterial-derived endotoxins as the barley plant does not produce endotoxins.
Barley Genome: The complete barley genome has been sequenced, making targeted bioengineering and host selection for recombinant protein production easier and more efficient.
