Aarhus University Seal

Michael Panting: Improving barley as a heterologous expression platform of recombinant proteins

PhD defence, Monday 26 August 2019, Michael Panting

Michael Panting

During his studies, Michael Panting researched in barley plants and its uses to express proteins from other organisms. Plants have some advantages compared to other host organisms like yeast and bacteria, but they have a low yield, which makes them less attractive for companies. By improving the yield, plants will be an attractive alternative to other traditional host organisms as there is a potential for making a large production at a low cost.

By manipulating barley genes, Michael has attempted to decrease the stress that expression of recombinant proteins puts on the barley host. By knocking out a gene using the CRISPR/Cas technology or crossing with a barley mutant that is missing a seed storage protein, Michael has doubled the expression of the protein epidermal growth factor from humans in the barley grain. These results have contributed to the knowledge on how to improve plants as host organisms and making them more attractive for companies that use host organisms to express recombinant proteins.

The PhD degree was completed at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science and Technology, Aarhus University.

This résumé was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Monday 26 August 2019 at 10.00
Place: The Auditorium, Research Centre Flakkebjerg, Forsøgsvej 1, 4200 Slagelse, Aarhus University
Title of PhD thesis: Improving production of recombinant proteins in the grains of barley (Hordeum vulgare)
Contact information: Michael Panting, e-mail: mpanting@mbg.au.dk, tel.: 87158245
Members of the assessment committee:
Adjunct Professor Anneli Ritala, Department of Biotechnology and Metabolomics, VVT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland
Associate Professor Meike Burow, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Associate Professor Søren Borg, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University (chair)
Main supervisor:
Professor Henrik Brinch-Pedersen, Aarhus University
Co-supervisor:
Dr. Inger Bæksted Holme, Aarhus University
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.