29 May 2019 - - US-based protein expression technologies developer Atum has exclusively licensed gene-coding algorithm GeneGPS to optimise protein expression in Nicotiana benthamiana to Canadian plant-derived vaccines and therapeutic proteins developer Medicago, the company said.

The gene design technology was developed using ATUM's patented gene optimisation algorithm that combines design of experiments, exact empirical measurements, and machine learning tools to accurately predict the preferred gene sequence.

Atum's patented GeneGPS technology eliminates bias, incorrect assumptions, and flawed optimization strategies in gene design by focusing on what has been experimentally demonstrated to improve expression.

GeneGPS begins with a training set of systematically varied synthetic gene variants, whose expression is experimentally tested in a target host.

The expression data is analysed using machine learning to develop a gene design algorithm for that host. Genes designed using GeneGPS reliably outperform genes designed using alternative methods.

Atum has built GeneGPS optimization algorithms for many bacterial, yeast, insect, plant, fungal, and mammalian expression hosts, and continues to improve and develop GeneGPS for novel expression hosts.

Medicago is a Canadian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with more than 400 employees in Canada and the United States. Medicago's mission is to improve global health outcomes by leveraging innovative plant-based technologies for rapid responses to emerging global health challenges.

Atum offers an integrated pipeline of tools including gene design, optimisation and synthesis, expression vectors, and platforms for protein and cellular engineering and production.

The company exploits the dependence of biological activity on well-designed sequences. ATUM's tools and solutions are fueling the transformation of biology from a discovery science to an engineering discipline. By collaborating with our clients, ATUM accelerates breakthroughs and moves research further faster.