SBIR Phase I: Engineered Cell Lines with Activated Proteasomes for Increased Biomanufacturing Efficiency

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to reduce the costs associated with the biomanufacturer of advanced therapies by making their manufacture more efficient. This project seeks to test the feasibility and application of a novel technology to significantly increase the protein production capabilities of cell lines currently used in the manufacture of biologics, gene therapies, and vaccines. Achievement of this project’s objectives could enhance the health and welfare of Americans by making advanced therapies more economically accessible. As the population ages, the prevalence of debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer is on the rise. This project could make the solutions to these issues more affordable and effective, significantly impacting the quality of life of Americans. In addition, this project could help revolutionize treatment for rare genetic disorders by overcoming the current hurdles of high manufacturing costs, thereby broadening access to these vital treatments. The proposed project seeks to build on initial data showing that enhancement of the cellular proteasome has an unexpected and counterintuitive effect on protein production in cells. The aims will be to demonstrate that this technology can be applied to cells commonly used in the manufacture of advanced therapies and that it can enhance the production of protein types relevant to human health such as gene therapy vectors and biologic drugs. Successful completion of this project will also provide new insights into the function of cells used in biomanufacturing and potentially enable further innovation in this area to ease this bottleneck on the production of advanced therapies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.