Industrial Consultancy & Sponsored Research (IC&SR) , IIT Madras

Process For Production Of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan In A Recombinant Lactococcus Lactis Using Acetate Co-utilization Fed-batch Strategy

Categories for this Invention

Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering

Industry: Pharmaceuticals, Biomedical Products

Applications: Advanced Materials, Food & Drugs, Medical & Surgical, Medical-grade hyaluronic acid (HA) for visco-supplementation in osteoarthritis treatment, High MWHA for enhanced stability in eye surgeries, HA in wound healing applications, HA for anti-cancer drug delivery, Cosmetic applications utilizing low molecular weight HA.

Market: The Global Hyaluronic Acid Market was estimated at USD 1.1 Bn in 2021, is expected to reach around USD 2.60 Bn by 2030, growing at 8% CAGR from 2022 to 2030.

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Problem Statement

  • Current methods for hyaluronic acid (HA) production suffer from limitations like lower molecular weights, hindering effectiveness in biomedical applications.
  • Existing metabolic engineering approaches focus on enzyme-coding genes but often overlook crucial cofactors, impacting HA production in recombinant strains like L. lactis.
  • Traditional methods and past engineering efforts left an unmet need for higher molecular weight HA demand in medical applications.
  • Utilization of cost-effective acetate in HA production faces challenges, there is a critical gap in exploring cofactor engineering strategies to enhance HA production and achieve greater stability for biomedical uses.
  • Hence, there lies a need for enhancing MWHA production, using process strategies, especially with acetate supplementation and co-utilization.
  • The instant invention discloses a process for producing higher MWHA (3.4 MDa) with high yield by anaerobic microbial fermentation with process control parameters.

Technology

  • Utilization of a genetically engineered strain of Lactococcus lactis, named MKG6, expressing key genes from Streptococcus zooepidemicus for enhanced HA biosynthesis.
  • Strategically manipulating metabolic pathways (FIG 2) and introduces acetate co-utilization to optimize cofactors like acetyl-CoA, crucial for HA production.
  • Incorporating batch acetate pulse feed, batch process with acetate and glucose pulse feed, constant fed-batch, and pH feedback fed-batch strategies for controlled & sustained HA production.
  • The invention introduces a process for producing hyaluronic acid (HA) with a consistently high molecular weight (3.4 MDa) through anaerobic microbial fermentation. The process comprises:

Key Features / Value Proposition

User perspective:

  • Enhanced Product Efficacy, Improved product Stability which is critical for reliable outcomes in medical treatments.
  • Versatile Applications, including osteoarthritis treatment, eye surgeries, wound healing, anti-cancer drug delivery, and cosmetics.
  • Biocompatibility with reduced immunogenicity and non-toxicity. Advanced Healthcare Solutions for various medical conditions.

Industrial perspective:

  • Cost-Effective Production, Breakthrough Technology achieving MWHA of 3.4 MDa.
  • Market Leadership and Bioprocessing Innovation with novel fermentation strategies.
  • Implement advanced fed-batch fermentation processes, including acetate pulse feed and pH feedback, for sustained high MWHA.

Technology perspective:

  • Employ cutting-edge genetic engineering techniques for recombinant L. lactis MKG6, enhancing HA pathway expression.
  • Strategically manipulate metabolic fluxes to maximize precursor availability and HA production. Introduce acetate co-utilization to optimize acetyl-CoA levels, a key cofactor in HA biosynthesis.
  • Leverage in-silico flux balance analysis to understand and optimize intracellular fluxes, influencing HA production.

Questions about this Technology?

Contact For Licensing

sm-marketing@imail.iitm.ac.in
ipoffice2@iitm.ac.in

Research Lab

Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal

Department of Mechanical Engineering 

Intellectual Property

  • IITM IDF No.: 1862

  •  IP No.: 412658 (Granted)

  • PCT Application No. PCT/IN2020/050447

Technology Readiness Level

TRL-4

Validated in Laboratory

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