Virus Production Services

Creative BioMart Vir-Sci is one of the well-recognized experts who is professional in production of viral particles. We have years of viral particles production experience and advanced production systems and equipment to provide fast and satisfactory virus production services according to customer needs.

Introduction

Viral particles consist of their own genome (DNA or RNA) and a protein capsid that encapsulates the genome. Unlike virus particles that infect hosts, virus-like particles (VLPs) do not contain a genome, so they are non-infectious and non-replicative. In recent years, viral particles and VLPs have attracted much attention as they can be used as templates for nanomaterials and as carriers for vaccines, bio-imaging labels or drug delivery. VLPs are particularly useful because they do not have a viral genome and can safely carry cargo molecules into the body. In addition, the inner and outer surfaces of the capsid can be genetically manipulated or chemically modified to produce functional VLPs and viral particles. There are many methods to generate viral particles, including bacterial, yeast, insect cells, etc.

Figure 1. Production platforms used for different VLP configurations (William, et al. 2013)

• Production in bacteria
  The virus particles are transformed at the DNA level, the transformed virus particles are expressed and assembled in the bacteria, Escherichia coli, then the viral particles are purified from the bacterial extract by means of precipitation and centrifugation. This viral particle can be used for bio-imaging, producing lithium-ion batteries, solar energy, etc. For viruses that infect eukaryotes, proteins expressed in bacteria may not be assembled, so after purification of capsid proteins, in vitro assembly may be required.
• Production in yeast
  Eukaryotic expression systems, such as yeast, insect cells, and plants, may be more suitable for the production of assembled eukaryotic viruses because they can better secrete soluble eukaryotic proteins and can perform post-translational modifications such as glycosylation, disulfide bond formation and proteolysis. Yeast expression systems work similarly to bacterial systems and can also be scaled up using fermentation techniques. Yeasts that have been developed for VLPs production include Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris. VLPs that have been successfully produced in yeast include Qβ, cowpea chlorotic mosaic virus (CCMV) and human papilloma virus (HPV).
• Production in insect cells
  Baculoviruses are harmless to humans, and insect cells are easy to culture without the need for a carbon dioxide incubator. Taking these advantages, researchers have obtained VLPs from insect cells infected with baculovirus expressing capsid proteins. Baculovirus-based expression systems have been used to produce insect viruses such as flock house virus (FHV), plant viruses such as cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), and mammalian viruses.
• Production in plants
  Plant-based expression systems have also been used for VLP production, including transgenic plants. To produce VLPs, plants are infected by mechanical inoculation through applying purified virus solution, infected leaves, viral cDNA or in vitro RNA transcripts to the leaves of the plant.
• Production in cell-free systems
  Cell-free system is a new and attractive VLP production system that can overcome some of the limitations of other production systems. For example, when the VLP is produced in vivo, an uncontrollable environment may occur, and the growth state of the cells may be affected by the toxicity of VLP. Currently, cell-free systems based on Escherichia coli and yeast have been established.

Our Virus Production Services (include but not limited to the following):

• Culturing wild virus isolates
• Virus purification service

Our Advantages

• Provide customized production services according to the specific needs of customers
• Ensure high-titer virus
• Suitable for multiple viruses (AAV, lentivirus, etc.)
• Short service cycle
• Competitive price in the market of virus production services
• Ensure 24/7 online service

Workflow of Microbiology Services at Creative BioMart Vir-Sci

Creative BioMart Vir-Sci has an expert team that own extensive experience in the field of virus production, involving various viruses and technical platforms. We guarantee that each specific experimental step in the production process is strictly controlled to ensure high quality and high yield of virus production. If you are seeking for related services, Creative BioMart Vir-Sci may be your good choice, please feel free to contact us, our expert team will design high-quality virus production solutions according to your needs and provide you with professional and thoughtful services.

References:

• Fuenmayor, J.; et al. Production of virus-like particles for vaccines. New Biotechnology. 2017, 39(Pt B): 174-180.
• William, A R.; et al. Virus-like particles: the future of microbial factories and cell-free systems as platforms for vaccine development. Current Opinion in Biotechnology. 2013, 24(6): 1089–1093.