St. Jude Research
Shared Resources

Protein Production Facility

The Protein Production Facility (PPF) provides a large-scale protein expression and purification service to support the translation of discoveries in molecular and cellular biology to chemical and structural biology.

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OVERVIEW

The Protein Production shared resource expresses and purifies proteins for structural and biochemical characterization, high-throughput screens, and use as reagents or antigens to support the transfer of molecular biologic and genetic findings to the discovery of new anti-cancer and anti-infective drugs. The facility is equipped to produce proteins in E. coli, insect cells or HEK293 cells. The Vibrio natrigens and Pichia pastoris expression systems can also be utilized by special request.

The facility is equipped with incubators and fermenters for large scale cell growth and AKTA purification systems.

Biorepository Overview
Biorepository Overview

IMPACT

The PPF has worked with St. Jude investigators from every research department on campus, expressing and purifying almost 2,000 different proteins for use in structural and biochemical characterization, high-throughput screens, and use as reagents or antigens. The Protein Production Facility aims to help investigators obtain pure proteins for biochemical assay and structure determination for the development of new anti-cancer and anti-infective drugs.

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Working with the protein production team makes one forget how ‘slippery’ or ‘sticky’ or ‘stubborn’ some proteins can be. They can conjure up some of the most misbehaved proteins and do it at a scale that makes otherwise impossible studies possible.

Aseem Ansari, Member

image of gloved hand in lab

Services

  • Bacterial Expression
  • Baculovirus Expression
  • Mammalian Expression
  • Purification

Equipment

  • 120L fermenter for bacterial growth    
  • Multiple 10L fermenters for bacterial and insect growth
  • AKTA Explorer purification systems
  • Robotic workstations for initial crystallization trials

PPF by the numbers

85%

85% success rate for protein expression and purification

PPF by the numbers

25%

25% of total cost incurred by the investigator

PPF by the numbers

2K

2,000 proteins expressed and purified for use

Director

Richard Heath

Richard Heath, D.Phil

Director, PPF
richard.heath@stjude.org