| 1 min read
Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
BALTIMORE—The widespread use of protein chips has largely been limited by the need for large-scale protein purification to generate a broad spectrum of proteins in a given cell type. Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, however, have recently described their efforts to produce protein chips using on-chip gene expression and polypeptide immobilization.
 
As they describe in Nature Biotechnology, the researchers relied on the fact that when a ribosome reaches duplex nucleic acid, it pauses just long enough for a puromycin molecule to enter the polypeptide synthesis site and become covalently bound to the nascent protein chain. Thus, in one scheme, the researchers attached mRNAs to silicon chips via streptavidin-biotin links. They then annealed a second short RNA primer to slow peptide synthesis and attached a puromycin-labeled oligo to the chip to capture the new peptide.
 
The researchers found that whether they were producing peptide tag sequences or full-length proteins, they could capture about 0.8 fmol protein per spot (or about 40,000 molecules). Furthermore, the captured peptides could be detected with anti-peptide antibodies and were capable of performing their normal biological functions.

About the Author

Related Topics

Loading Next Article...
Loading Next Article...
Subscribe to Newsletter

Subscribe to our eNewsletters

Stay connected with all of the latest from Drug Discovery News.

Subscribe

Sponsored

GreenCooling

Thermo Scientific™ Centrifuges with GreenCool Technology

Next-generation natural refrigerant cooling system for centrifuges, offering a lower Global Warming Potential and reduced energy consumption.
Clear sample tubes are shown in a clear tote with red lids in a sample prep robot with a blue and silver industrial lab background.

The crucial role of sample preparation in biotherapy manufacturing

Discover how better sample preparation can unlock improved assay accuracy and analytical results.
A black mosquito is shown on pink human skin against a blurred green backdrop.

Discovering deeper insights into malaria research

Malaria continues to drive urgent research worldwide, with new therapies and tools emerging to combat the parasite’s complex lifecycle and global burden.
Drug Discovery News March 2025 Issue
Latest IssueVolume 21 • Issue 1 • March 2025

March 2025

March 2025 Issue

Explore this issue