Other

Institut Pasteur

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Evologic Sa

Mutzel, Rupert

Rupert Mutzel

Philippe Marliere

Didier Mazel

The present invention relates to a method for generating a novel form of life comprising the steps consisting of: a) irreversible alteration of the genome of a microbial clone; b) cultivation of a vast population of microbial cells originating from the altered clone obtained in step a) during numerous generations under conditions allowing selection for a higher and stable proliferation rate; c) isolation of descendant clones within the cultivated population of step b) still bearing the alteration of step a).

Method for obtaining new life forms

Eubacterial cells which produce non-formylated proteins, polypeptides and/or peptides and methods for making such non-formylated products. The eubacterial cells may be produced by inactivating or deleting the def (deformylase) and/or fmt (Met-tRNA transformylase) gene(s) from the def-fmt operon of the corresponding wild-type strain.

Descendants of bacteria devoid of N terminal formylation useful for the production of proteins and peptides

The present invention relates to producing non-formylated proteins and/or peptides in bacterial cells lacking deformylase and/or transformylase.

The present invention relates to a method and a device for selecting accelerated proliferation of living cells in suspension. The culture apparatus ( ) of the present invention enables cells to proliferate in suspension over unlimited periods of time. Natural selection results in the accumulation of genetic variants which are increasingly better adapted to the chosen culture conditions. The organisms used can be prokaryotic or eukaryotic. The organisms used can be naturally occurring organisms or genetically modified organisms. The culture apparatus of the present invention is also suitable for using continuous, periodical or conditional culture conditions. The physical and chemical characteristics of the culture media used can be chosen by the user. The requirement that a population of cells proliferates exclusively in suspension in continuous culture conditions is satisfied by the periodical transfer of the organism suspension from a first culture vessel into a second culture vessel. After the transfer, the first culture vessel is subjected to a sterilizing treatment and the sterilizing agent is optionally neutralized, so that the first culture vessel is ready for the culture to be transferred back from the second culture vessel. The second culture vessel is then sterilized and neutralized.

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Berlin, Germany

Rupert Mutzel