Overproduction of Proteins in Recombinant Organisms

In a qualitative way, the materials and methods available to the recombinant DNA genetic engineer for overproducing proteins have been explained. The status of technology development for overproduction using E. coli, B. subtilis, and yeast as host microorganisms has been briefly assessed. Potential and actual genetic engineering solutions to the plasmid-shedding problem have been outlined. Since plasmid shedding presents a serious problem to the fermentation engineer responsible for scale-up to commercial production levels and since the ways around this problem appear mostly to have their solutions in the realm of genetic engineering coupled with appropriate fermentation protocol, the genetic engineer should work closely with the fermentation engineer to make scale-up realizable. Neither the genetic engineer nor the fermentation engineer can afford to be ignorant of the tools available to each profession if fermentation scale-up of genetically engineered microorganisms is to be accomplished economically.