Efficient production of cyclic proteins

Researchers at The University of Queensland have made several important breakthroughs in the production of cNDs and can produce them at yields that are several-fold higher than reported methods, using a workflow that is scalable and cost-effective.

Membrane proteins have long presented a challenge to biochemical and functional studies.  In the absence of a bilayer environment, individual proteins and critical macromolecular complexes may be insoluble and may display altered or absent activities.  Nanodisc technology provide important advantages for the isolation, purification, structural resolution and functional characterisation of membrane proteins.

Nanodiscs consist of a membrane scaffold protein (MSP) that wraps around a patch of lipids, making a disc shaped lipid-protein complex.  The most advanced nanodisc design is based on covalently circularised nanodiscs (cNDs).