Abstract
Recombinant proteins are a major breakthrough in biomedical research with a wide range
of applications from diagnostics to therapeutics. Strategic construct design, consistent
expression
platforms, and suitable upstream and downstream techniques are key considerations
to produce commercially viable recombinant proteins. The recombinant antigenic protein
production for use
either as a diagnostic reagent or subunit vaccine formulation is usually carried out
in prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression platforms. Microbial and mammalian systems
dominate the
biopharmaceutical industry for such applications. However, there is no universal expression
system that can meet all the requirements for different types of proteins. The adoptability
of any
expression system is likely based on the quality and quantity of the proteins that
can be produced from it. The huge demand of recombinant proteins for different applications
requires an
inexpensive production platform for rapid development. The molecular farming scientific
community has been promoting the plant system for nearly 3 decades as a cost-effective
alternative to
produce high-quality proteins for research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications.
Here, we discuss how plant biotechnology could offer solutions for the rapid and scalable
production of
protein antigens as low-cost diagnostic reagents for use in functional assays.
Key words
Biopharmaceuticals - diagnostics - molecular farming - plant biotechnology - recombinant
proteins - transient expression
