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Enthusiastic and innovative
Microstar
Biotech Inc. (MSB) was incorporated in 1999 by Dr. Daniel Yang to develop
a platform for the overexpression of proteins. Dr. Yang is a Biochemistry
professor at McMaster University since 1988. He is a protein
crystallographer best known for his work on ice-binding proteins
(antifreeze/ice-structuring protein) from fish and plant as well as the bone-binding
protein osteocalcin. At MSB, Dr. Yang applied his years of experience in
the over-expression of antifreeze proteins and osteocalcin to the
production of crystalline cellulose-binding protein cellulase as well as
other industrial enzymes.
The six important
technology assets of MSB are: 1) a highly efficient targeted genetic
transformation technique that can place genetic material at any
chromosomal locations in Trichoderma reesei, 2)
a strain of Trichoderma reesei (T.reesei MSB-12593)
that has the growth phenotype of a typical wildtype Trichoderma reesei (e.g. CBS999.97) but with protein excretion
capacity far superior to that of a typical industrial strain (e.g.
Rut-C30). This is the result of years of research using molecular
techniques such as genetic transformation and sexual crossing, 3) an
automated solid-state fermentation setup for the production of proteins
using Trichoderma reesei, 4) a process for
continuous production of magnetite nanoparticles 5) a process for immobilizing
enzymes on magnetite nanoparticles and 6) a reaction chamber for the
application of immobilized enzymes.
Our current focus is on
developing overexpression clones for the production of industrial
enzymes. We currently have clones that can produce large quantities of 1)
Cellulases, 2) beta-glucosidase, 3) alpha-amylase, 4) glucoamylase, 5)
trypsin, 6) aspartic protease, 7) rhmanosidase,
8) pectinase, 9) chitinase, 10) chitosanase, 11) acetyl xylan esterase, 12) xylosidase,
13) beta-mannanase, 14) mannosidase, 15) cutinase, and 16) lysozyme.
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Site opened Sept 25, 2004.
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